A Different Means to an End
by cbandpeonies1001
Summary: A complete rewrite of Season 6... Mostly C/B to begin but adding in other characters as time goes on. A more detailed, character true version of the way things could have gone if not rushed through in ten episodes. Multi-chapter. Rated M for language and smut. First time writing a story so please review! I own none of the real GG content.
1. Chapter 1

It was only 7 PM in a hotel room in Monte Carlo where Blair Waldorf sat staring in the mirror running over a laundry list in her head of ways to make her plan and plea not only sincere but successful. She had gone over the same list for the past week while awaiting the call of a man who had she had viewed more as an enemy then an ally. She couldn't help but wonder if she was being set up. She couldn't help but think this was all going to blow up in her face and further the distance that already existed between her and the man she had finally admitted to loving. She was tense, she was on edge and most of all she was terrified.

"Trusting Jack Bass. What a novel concept," she mused out loud, still staring in the mirror.

But she had no choice and she knew it. She was aware after speaking with Jack initially that Chuck was no longer the enemy in his eyes. Most of their misunderstandings had been sorted out during the good old Thorpe debacle. Now that his beloved brother had finally decided to rise from the dead that made him public enemy number one. Putting both Jack and Chuck out high and dry in the same breath was probably not the wisest idea that the great Bart Bass had ever had but given the recent turn of events he seemed to act with an air of invincibility.

Jack and Chuck were now acting as a team and if Chuck trusted Jack then Blair needed to make the leap. She needed to give Jack the same benefit of a doubt that she had wished for Chuck to give to her. Jack was the only one who currently knew anything about Chuck. Chuck had pulled the well known vanishing act less then twenty-four hours after what she initially believe was her best effort at a heartfelt declaration. In all honesty she didn't blame him. In looking back at the conversation that had occurred between them roughly a week ago she came across as the same selfish bitch she had been all year.

She walked up to the roof top after witnessing what Chuck probably viewed as one of the top five worst moments in his life only to pretty much say, "Me. Me. Me. Me. Me."

"I'm here because its time I was honest with you. I love you. I'm in love with you. I have tried to kill it, to run away from it, but I can't and I don't want to anymore..."

"So what?"

"So now we can be together. Isn't that what you want?"

"It was. Before I lost everything."

"Bass industries isn't everything. I'm gonna take over my mother's company and that can be our future."

"The only reason Waldorf designs has a future is because I gave mine up for it. My father was right. I always put you first. And you bet against me every time. Now I have nothing."

"You have me"

"It's not enough. I need a future."

"Then let me be part of it."

"I don't want to be Mr. Blair Waldorf. I'm Chuck Bass."

"Did you honestly expect that to work?" she spewed at her reflection and then let out a deep sign. She realized that her attempt had probably been the icing on the cake of his insulting evening. Telling him that she wanted so badly not to love him that she repeatedly attempted to kill the feeling? Implying that now that she had jumped off the crazy train they could be together just like he wanted? Trying to pretty much brand him the next Rufus Humphrey of the upper east side? Not even asking him if he still wanted a future with her but instead insisting that he let her be part of his.

She didn't even think to mutter the word sorry. She didn't even think to say that everything that occurred since the moment they said what they thought was goodbye after the bar mitzvah had been an out of body experience that she wouldn't wish upon even her worst enemy. She didn't think to apologize for making pacts with god and leaving him in a hospital room for weeks wondering if he was living in a nightmare. Didn't think to try to explain what messed up rationale she was operating on while choosing to ignore him after vowing to run away and spend the rest of her life with him and a child that wasn't even his but who he promised to love anyway. Didn't think to say, "Sorry you will never be my first husband but I want to do everything in my power to ensure your my last." She didn't think to try to explain that her relationship with Dan was her clinging to the closest thing she could find and in turn living with a relationship with Louie 2.0. She didn't apologize for kicking him to the curb when he came to her looking for genuine friendship and advice when in fact he had given her those things repeatedly when she didn't deserve them. She didn't think to say, "Oh hey! Thanks for trying to stop me from making a million and a half mistakes that have pretty much ruined my life," "Thanks for never giving up on me when I gave you every reason to," and most importantly, "I am sorry that I lied not to myself but to you when I told you that I wasn't in love with you."

She began to tear up for what had to be the millionth time in past week but stared straight ahead back at her reflection and began to take control of her breathing again. She began to state a mantra that had one time given her everything she had ever wanted, "I will not be weak anymore." She dabbed beneath her eyes and repeated the words until she was again sure that she believed them and that they would lead her through the events that were about to take place that evening. She knew that tonight she was drawing the line. She was done running. She was ready to fight.

After fixing her makeup, she finally walked away from her reflection and grabbed her cell phone texting Jack.

*Location update? -B

*Just moved to black jack. -J

*Up or Down? -B

*Moving up quick. Come in 5. -J

She stared at the screen and realized somewhere inside of her that this was it. This was going to be the new beginning. No matter what happened down in that casino, this was her fresh start. She glanced in the mirror one last time and smiled at herself for what seemed to be the first time she could remember in months, if not years. She grabbed her clutch off the bed and made her way through the door and down the hall to the elevators. Until this point she had seemed to vanquish her fears but the sound of the elevator chiming to announce its arrival startled her and she stepped forward nearly falling when her heel slid into the small slit in between the marble floor and the elevator floors beginning. She sighed deeply again as she continued to hit the close door button and then lit up the casino button by placing her finger upon it. As the elevator began to descend she felt her heart flutter and instead of accrediting the feeling to that of fear, she replaced it with anticipation and desire.

When the elevator chimed again to announce she had reached her destination she was overtaken with a state of determination. She strolled off the elevator with a confidence that she use to possess. A confidence but also a vulnerability. She was going to bear her heart and admit to her mistakes. She was going to allow herself to express humility and was determined not to close up or give up with whatever she was presented with. She continued to walk through the decently packed gaming area until she spotted them. Chuck sitting looking impeccable as always in his tux while slightly sipping his scotch and placing it back down. Jack standing to the left of him, leaning over a chair and looking on at the hand ahead. Once she saw the dealer begin to collect the cards from the previous hand she began to stride forward...

"Beginning today the past is just a prologue. It all starts from here." - Gossip Girl


	2. Chapter 2

Blair approached the table and stood on Chuck's right side. Without a bit of hesitation she began, "Is there a seat available?"

Chuck knew from the moment the first syllable had left her lips who was standing beside him. He looked up as the words had finished coming out of her mouth and stared at her directly like a deer caught in the headlights. He wanted to blink. He wanted to wipe the millionth hallucination he was having of her from his brain. But events started unfolding in front of him and he felt he had already lost all control of his face and its features.

"Here. Take mine," Jack said moving back slightly from the chair that he had been leaning over.

Chuck's head seemed to dart in Jack's direction but his expression stayed the exact same. He was beyond confused at this point. He was perplexed. As Blair walked behind Chuck she looked at Jack and said, "Thanks for the call."

Jack merely nodded to her and took one last look before retreating from the direction that she had come from.

Chuck stared at her up and down in one swift motion before his eyes were firmly locked on her face with the same confused look. His thoughts were a mess. It was as if his brain was playing yet another cruel trick on him but he knew this was not a dream. Her scent was so much stronger then it was in his dreams.

Blair placed her chips on the table, staring down for a second before looking up and directly locking eyes with Chuck who was still staring at her. The second her eyes met his he was on sensory overload. Flashbacks were playing rapidly through his head in the same way they had just a few years ago while laying in a street ally in Prague and again a few months ago while lying on a stretcher being wheeled into a hospital.

"Ah! Here we go again." He thought to himself. "Obviously this isn't a dream. I've been plagued with yet another twist of fate. So what is it this time? Did I get run over? Did someone stab me? Did I finally get so drunk I can't wake up? Seriously, how many lives do I have because this is getting old."

Blair could see almost see his mind working at a thousand miles a minute but hers was finally slow and precise. She wasn't over thinking thinking anymore. She had thought to much and for to long about the how this could happen and what was the right thing to say and how to say it. Meeting his gaze she simply stated, "You've fought for me all year. I've come to fight for you." She turned away and looked to the direction of the dealer.

Chuck just kept staring. He was thankful that he was sitting because otherwise he was positive he would have fallen over onto the ground when he realized that in this moment that he was deeply rooted in reality and was most likely on a collision course.

"Will you be joining the game?" the dealer asked.

Chuck only broke his stare off of Blair with the completion on the dealer's sentence.

It lasted a mere second though once Blair began again,"You said I always bet against you. But, this time, I'm all in." Her look was intense and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her look so much like herself. She looked exactly like the girl he had fallen in love with over four long years ago. He felt something in the air shift.

She then pushed her chips into the center of the table and briefly glanced back at Chuck while all Chuck could do was stare at the chips. He was recognizing everything he was feeling and allowing himself the pleasure of taking in every moment here but his brain was not connecting with his heart. His brain had learned it's lesson and while it was allowing the information to be processed it was not giving the heart a single say in how this matter was going to shake out.

"Your bet sir?" The dealer's speaking interrupted his gaze yet again. He looked up towards the dealer as Blair turned her gaze upon Chuck. Chuck then turned towards Blair and she smiled ever so slightly. His brain immediately tried to restrain him. His face still hadn't changed but everything inside him was screaming. He kept hearing the same word repeating over and over, "No, no, no, no, no..."

After a staring matched that lasted seconds but seemed like an eternity for both of them, Chuck grabbed a stack of yellow chips matching what she had and pushed them in and nodded at the dealer. He continued to stare at the table not muttering a word.

Blair was taken aback. She was looking for some sort of symbolism in his gesture but found none. She wanted to berate him with questions but instead smiled slightly at the dealer and nodded, urging him with her eyes to deal the cards. The dealer began and Chuck kept his gaze fixed on the table and his hand on his tumbler. He picked up the glass and drained the liquid instantaneously. He looked away from the table and Blair and signaled to an approaching waitress.

The waitress approached quickly and Chuck spoke, "Scotch. Triple."

The second the words were out of his mouth his eyes were back down at the table. The waitress looked to Blair and seemed to mock her with her eyes.

"I'll take a glass of Dom 95'. Actually, just bring the bottle," Blair said not wavering from the confidence that she had showed in her previous remarks.

Chuck looked up from the table at her using every inch of will power he was cognitive of to repress his smirk. She smiled at him again and then lifted her cards slightly off the table to figure out her course of action. He mimicked her gesture and smiled inwardly knowing that his hand was a winner.

Both won the hand with an almost fate like tie and rested back in their chairs until the drinks arrived. They continued to play glancing at each other frequently but not speaking a single word. They were both on a up swing when Chuck abruptly motioned his hands to the dealer to signal that he was out. He glanced at Blair and she repeated the gesture. The dealer began to cash the chips into larger increments when Blair finally spoke.

"I understand that the game requires concentration Bass but I assumed we could at least engage in some small talk."

Chuck continued to stare and looked back at the dealer who passed him his chips then repeated the action towards Blair.

"Thank you sir," Chuck said before draining the rest of his tumbler and gathering the chips in his hand. He looked at Blair a final time before standing up from his seat and beginning to walk away.

He was definitely having a fight or flight experience and he knew that the second his mouth decided to finally start making anything remotely verbal come out he did not want it to be in the center of a casino in the homeland of Blair's ex-husband. Plus, he was use to running. This was easy. But, he wasn't suppose to run anymore. He was mature. He had grown up. "Oh well, desperate times..." he thought as he continued walking.

Blair only allowed herself a brief second of shock before she grabbed her chips and began following him.

"Chuck! Really, Chuck all I want to do is talk to you. I just want to explain everything. Please just give me a little of your time. Chuck!" she was shouting in a packed casino as she was trying to keep up with his quick steps, her heels making her feel she was sure to fall over and add to the embarrassment of the situation at hand.

Chuck stopped abruptly and turned back allowing her time to catch up before resuming walking at a less frantic pace. "Shit. Fuck. Damn. Why did I stop? What am I doing? What do I want out of this? I need to have a plan before this gets out of hand. Should I just let her keep talking? Should I say something? What is actually going to come out of her mouth this time?" He felt exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. In a matter of an hour this woman had turned him into a complete and utter mess. Yet, again.

When he slowed down she took it as a good sign. He was signaling that he was at some point going to reach a destination where he let her speak. She couldn't allow herself to feel disappointment if he didn't wish to speak back. He obviously did not see this coming and she had far more time to prepare for this then him.

They reached the elevators and he placed his hand upon the up button. He looked to Blair and shook his head. His hands moved to his temples and he rubbed them slightly. Blair kept her gaze fixed to him. It had been so long since she had been this close to him for this long of a period of time. She caught herself memorizing or rather recalling features. He looked older, none the less handsome but older. She wondered if this was her doing. She began to think of the extent of the damage she had done and how the only thing she desired was to fix it all. He had done horrible things to her but he had made amends and he had grown as a person. She was in new territory. It had always been him that had been the fuck up. It was always him that destroyed everything and only came to clean up the damage once he had hit the bottom. This past year she had become old school Chuck Bass times ten. Granted they messed up in different ways but her sins were definitely standing out as the graver of the two.

The elevator opened and they both stepped inside. He hit the penthouse button and slid his card through acting as a key. He leaned against the wall and seemed to look right through her. She knew that he was. She knew that he was attempting to come up with every right thing to say so the second that she made a misstep he was going to bury her with her own words. She deserved it and she knew it. She wanted more then anything for him to just lay into her. Just scream in her face how much he hated her. She wanted him to call her names and make her feel as worthless as she had made him in the past. If he would just give in and let this happen then she would be able to assure him that no matter what he said that she wasn't going anywhere. She was going to fight with him for him no matter what he said or did. That was how it use to work right? He had things he had to say if she ever hoped they would get back what they had and she wanted the truth. The truth he use to feel so comfortable with giving her and not the sugar coated version.

The elevator chime broke her chain of thoughts and she looked to him. He held out his arm and motioned her to walk inside. She obliged and walked into the lavish penthouse that looked like a scene out of a movie. Given the predicament it made sense. No, Chuck and Blair would never lower themselves to having this play out in a crowded casino. The scenery had to justify the conversation. He followed her in and walked right past her toward what appeared to be the bedroom door. "Really?" was the only thought that was ringing in her head. Not that sex wasn't swirling in her thoughts the second she saw him sitting in the casino but heading there before even attempting to solve this was going to be disastrous. She followed him anyways.

Some may call this a bedroom but it literally appeared to be a regular suite that was being called a bedroom. Chuck stood behind a bar with his back facing Blair as he appeared to be looking for just the right liquid to make this in anyway smoother then he thought it would be. Blair approached the bar and sat on a stool waiting for Chuck to acknowledge her. He turned around with a tumbler that was filled far beyond what he would usually be caught sipping on and took a small swig. He placed the glass down and fidgeted with it before rising his eyes to meet her.

"God, she is so beautiful," was the only clear thought he could conjure at the moment. Then finally he took the leap.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked her while looking directly in her eyes. Her body instantly betrayed her. The temperature felt like it had gone up twenty degrees in the matter of a five word question. After just under two hours of silence she had finally got him to say something to her and now she couldn't even muster the strength or voice to mutter a simple yes to him. She just nodded her head and watched as he pulled out the gin to make the martini he knew she was in desperate need of. He poured the glass and lightly placed it in front of her. Losing control over herself she grabbed his hand before he could retreat it from the bar and squeezed it affectionately.

MISTAKE. The heat went up again and she felt him become completely stiff under her touch. "I will not be weak anymore." It started playing in her head over and over as she glanced from their locked hands up to his face that was frozen staring at her.

"Thank you," she managed she rasp out before squeezing his hand again slightly and releasing it.

The second she touched him he was sure he was going to lose it. He had kept so level headed up until this point and all she did was touch his hand and now everything he had been sorting in his brain was back to the same place it was when she had first walked up the black jack table. The physical contact had been an invasion but the second her hand pulled away then it felt like a loss. He grabbed at his tumbler again needing to hold onto something. He poured the liquid down his throat and it seemed to aid in the heat that had risen upon his skin.

Blair cleared her throat as she prepared to launch. No turning back. Now or never.

"Chuck. I know you are probably wondering what I am doing here after our conversation last week but I just, I just went about everything in the wrong way. I have been the most selfish, horrible person to you and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but I am so sorry for everything. I'm sorry I let you let me go. I'm sorry that I continued on with Louie when I knew I didn't love him. I'm sorry about the crash and what I said and then what I did. I'm sorry I went through with the wedding. I am sorry I didn't run to you when it all went to hell. I'm sorry i got involved in some charade of a relationship with Dan because I was to immature to admit to my wrongs. I'm sorry you paid off my mistakes and lost things you cared about because of it but more then anything I am sorry that I was not there for you in all the ways that you were there for me," it came out in a long run out sentence where she seemed to have trouble catching her breath. She was tearing up and gasping a little but holding her composure well given the situation.

He nodded and walked around the other side of the bar and seated himself upon the stool next to her. He grabbed her hand and ran his fingers down it before intertwining their fingers. He placed their joined hands on the bar and finally lifted his eyes to hers and said, "thank you."

She stared at him. Now it was her turn to be confused. Where was the yelling? Why wasn't he screaming at her? Why wasn't he asking for clarification? Why didn't he wanna break her the way she had broke him. She lost it. She started sobbing. Her body was trembling and she crashed into him hoping that the spell wouldn't wear off.

He allowed his arm to come around and support her as she cried into his chest. He knew he couldn't let this continue. He knew he had things that were burning his tongue and that to comfort her was doing both of them a disservice.

"Blair," he said pushing her back onto her own stool a bit but not enough where he wasn't supporting her weight. He kept his hand linked with hers as he waited for her to gather the strength to bring herself back to the conversation. She sat up and wiped her face and looked back at him mouthing the word sorry.

"Blair listen. I appreciate your apology and your effort in coming half way around the world to hand deliver it but I'm not sure if I can do this right now. I'm going through a lot with Bart being, well you know being alive and being his usual undead Bart self and if this conversation starts right now I don't know where it is going to end. I have things to say to you and I have questions that I would like answers to but I don't know if either of us can handle this right now," Chuck spoke slow and decisively like every bit of the adult he had claimed he had become and shown.

"Chuck, I know that I need to show you that I am not merely a selfish imbecile right now but if you expect me to nod and jump back on a plane to New York you are mistaken. I came here with a purpose. I came here to show you that I am not weak anymore. I am not going to lie to you or myself. I am not going to hold back no matter what you say to me or how much you dissuade me. You fought for me and until this point never threw in the towel and I am telling you that if I have to follow you around till Christmas, or next Christmas I am going to make you realize that I am through being fickle. This is what I want and I am not going to change my mind or waver from my choice. This is it for me. You are it for me. All I want to know is do you still think that I am it for you? Do you still think that you want me as a part of your future?" Blair had taken on the same tone that Chuck gave her and he was looking at her as if he wanted to applaud her genuinely for having being able to articulate these things without falling apart again.

Chuck gestured Blair towards her drink and she took a gulp as he continued to nurse his scotch. He would ignore her question for now. He deserved answers more then she did at this point and that was an opinion we was not willing to waver from.

"I don't really wanna talk about the whole fairy tale gone wrong thing. I get that. I understand that I let you go and you thought I meant it. Granted, we had sex an hour before and last time I checked our sexual chemistry is unparalleled so that should have thrown you off but I have a way with words I guess just about as equal as anatomy," Chuck began and Blair let out a small laugh. He smiled at her before continuing, "I even get why you married him. I'm not a big believer in the man upstairs but if that's where you turned then that's what happened. Seriously though your mother even dragged me to the church. But, what I cannot understand for the life of me is why when you were still married you had the audacity to become involved in a relationship with someone who literally played with your head in some ways worse then I have. Why did I have a literal senior year flash back? Same story, just a downgrade in partners." There it was. He was starting to show Chuck again. He was going to give it to her just how she wanted initially but now she was beginning to regret her desire to go here. He had the ability and enough ammunition to tear her to shreds literally until next Christmas.

"For lack of a better analogy let me say this. Dan was not Nate. Dan was closer to Carter then Nate. Merely a symptom of the disease and not the cause. Dan was a good friend. A really good friend, for the most part. The thing about it was I think it was all a ploy. He saw me as a damsel in distress and fell in love with that idea and with Claire and attempted to give me an exorcism and get all the bad Blair out of me. When he told me on Valentine's Day that he didn't wanna be my friend anymore and he wanted more I felt like I couldn't stand to lose another person. I knew I didn't love him but I was grasping. I figured it was better then being alone. I figured it was better to be insane and let my relationship with him crash and burn then to come to you and risk ruining what inevitably would have to be the grand last chance. I needed to be better for myself so that I could be better for you. And I am," She was speaking as if she was the most confident person in the world. She wasn't even reciting all the lines she had practiced because in this instance she finally felt whole. She finally knew that if she spoke from anywhere but her heart he would see through it all.

He nodded his head again and took another swig allowing himself to absorb the information. She all but chugged what remained in her glass. "Another?" Chuck asked and she smiled and nodded. He got off the stool and went around the bar to mix her drink. His head was still spinning. She was saying all the right things or at least the things in his head that made all the nonsense seem right. He pushed the glass across the bar and repeated the same hand grab that had seemed to be comforting both of them. He released it briefly to resume his seat next to her before grabbing hold again. It was the tiniest bit of intimacy but the most either could take for the moment.

"It really pissed me off when I took the equity out of the Empire and almost had to double mortgage it so you could go play princess on the met steps with that idiot. Really a plastic tiara? Like really?" Chuck spewed. He held her hand still but it was rougher.

"I deserve that. I never wanted you to do what you did but I am eternally grateful for it," she spoke while rubbing his hand and feeling his grip lessen.

"You hurt me when you didn't come to the hospital. I spent weeks not knowing what had happened and I had to be told by Serena at your wedding after you proclaimed your undying love for me why," Chuck stated his hand tightening again.

"Chuck, I know..." Blair began but was cut off.

"It hurt when you told me you wished the baby was mine," he said it no louder then a whisper.

Her face looked so taken aback he was shocked she didn't flee. He knew they didn't need to sort out every detail tonight and going this route was probably wrong but he had held everything so long it felt like he was losing restraint by the second.

"It hurt when I had to pick my god damn step sister up off the floor after she got wasted when her grandmother died and you had the nerve to go kissing the 'love of her life' right in front of her. It hurt when you accused me of paying off your dowry as a selfish motive when it would have gone unknown if Nate kept his god damn mouth shut. It hurt when that bitch claimed to be my mother and you were to busy worrying about your indie coming out party to give two shits. It hurt when I had to kiss you at the play to prove to you that I was the same selfish bastard I worked so hard not to be and get slapped for it. This past year has just hurt. You don't understand how much will power it took for me not to scream "fuck it all" and go off the deep end. I kept trying and trying and getting nothing out of it. Not even getting a fucking friend out of it. But, you know what hurts more then anything? What kills more then anything I have ever felt? Watching you stand up there and shake your head and let someone else be Blair Waldorf's husband. It should have been me and I never will be your first husband. I will never be your first child's father. You took that from me. I may understand it down to a tee but I don't know if I can ever get over it," by the end he was screaming. He let go of her hand and resumed his position on the other side of the bar.

He stared at her and she saw black. That black she had seen many times before when she was losing him. His words were echoing in her head and she couldn't believe that he had literally plucked the same resentments she had against herself out of her head and threw them at her. They cut her so deep so imagined that she was bleeding out in that hotel room. She didn't cry. She knew she couldn't. He was not going to comfort her. To much had been said. She needed to respond to bring him back. She needed him to see that while facts were facts there was still hope.

"You may not be my first but I'm positive you will be my last and my only real one," she said confidently with her eyes never leaving his. But, it was to late. He was gone.

"I think you should leave," he stated more of a demand then a request.

While the last thing she wanted was to leave on this note she knew that if she stayed she could cause damage that would be more irreparable then it already was. She sighed deeply and hopped of the stool. She walked over to the other side of the bar where he was standing and placed herself in front of him effectively trapping him against the wall. He looked void of all emotion. He looked like he could vary well snap and break every last thing in that suite at this very moment. She gently grabbed his cheeks and brought his face towards hers and kissed him lightly. She lingered as long as she felt was possible before pulling away and grabbing both his scrunched up hands into her smaller ones.

"I love you Chuck Bass. I love you so much it consumes me. I am in love with you and only you," she whispered this right into his face to the point where she could feel his breathing hitch in her face. She kissed him lightly on the cheek before retreating and grabbing her clutch off the bar. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm in 1812. I know, sentimental. If you run I'm coming after you. Get some sleep Bass your going to need it," she stated seductively before turning on her heel and walking out his suite into the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

He stood there staring at the elevator and shaking. Minutes passed with him remaining motionless apart from the trembles coming off of his body. Finally he glanced down to his tumbler and lifted it back into his hand. He swirled the liquid around and inhaled the smell of it that had seemed to aid him, and hinder him, in every stress inducing situation that had occurred in his life since the ripe age of thirteen. He took a small swig and then walked over to the sink and poured the rest of the amber liquid down the drain. He knew he could have had the bottle drained within the hour if he put his best effort into it but he also realized from his vast experience that what he would feel in the morning combined with what he felt right now would have rendered him incapable of keeping up whatever Blair was going to throw at him next.

The elevator dinged again and Chuck instantly commended himself in his head for his decision, thinking that Blair had come back for round two much sooner then he would have anticipated. He walked out of his room to find Jack entering the suite with two women who Chuck deemed, at best, moderately priced call girls. He rolled his eyes toward Jack and turned to walk back into his bedroom.

"Oh little nephew are you really going to bail on my impromptu party so quickly?" Jack asked before pushing the girls further into the suite and motioning to them to take a seat on the couch.

"I'm not in the mood Jack," Chuck muttered.

"Ah, yes I can see that. The future Mrs. is gone already? I thought she was going to put up more of a fight or I never would have extended her the courtesy of telling her our actual location. And, by the looks of your still intact evening wear I am guessing you two didn't even engage in that hate sex you both enjoy so much," Jack said smirking at Chuck, "No worries. Uncle Jack has yet again brought you the perfect solution."

"If I was looking for a whore you can be sure I wouldn't settle with something that could be found in the casino strip club. And, if your using profits as their pay then I would suggest you tip based on the quality not the quantity," Chuck stated while grimacing at the blondes who were currently sipping out of bottles left on the coffee table.

"Chucky come on. I don't know what you want me to do for you. I bring you the divorcee of your dreams and you end up alone in this hotel room without even a sympathy fuck. Then after I saw little miss sunshine walk into the bar I figured I bring in some tension relief and now here you are insulting the help," Jack smiled coyly

"She's at the bar?" Chuck asked out loud yet not meaning too.

Jack rolled his eyes and nodded, "Ladies, let's take this party to my room. Nephew here seems much to content with talking and that's not the way I wish to spend time with the toys I'm paying for." He grabbed two bottles of the "cheap" champagne off the counter and directed the women toward his bedroom without looking back at Chuck.

Chuck walked back into his own bedroom and shut the door lightly. He laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling fan moving round and round in an endless circle. He shook his head at the thought that his life mirrored the action of the fan. Going round and round never breaking the cycle because deep down he knew that he didn't want to. All he wanted to do was pretend the past year never happened and wake up from the nightmare. He knew all he needed to do was head down to that bar and grab her, kiss her and everything would melt away. But for how long? Once the morning after snuck in everything would be the same as it had always been. He rolled onto his side and kicked his shoes off hoping to succumb to sleep and in turn wake up with an answer to the problem his brain had plagued him with for so long. Sleep came easier then he expected and his last thought before drifting was of her words, "I will not be weak anymore."

Down at the bar, Blair was holding the same martini that had been placed in front of her since she initially took her seat. She knew getting drunk would only muddle her thoughts and make her emotions run rapid rather then be restrained as they needed to be to remain level headed. The only reason that she had chosen to come back down to the lobby was so that she could simply watch the people and find some kind of distraction from the situation that was before her. She had said everything she could think to say and attempted to answer the questions that he had placed before her in the most honest way that she could. She had expected this resistance but it was tearing her apart. That kiss she had given him that left her lips burning, her legs shaking, her thighs throbbing and most of all her heart pulsating. Having him even for the briefest of seconds had left her feeling whole and then so quickly empty. She had had enough for the evening. She knew she needed to be prepared to engage in the same battle she had just come from night after night until white flags finally started waving. She got up from her seat and took the elevators up to the suite that she called her own.

Once inside she began looking around and comparing every detail to the suite that Chuck was staying in. Obviously they were of the same decor and suddenly she felt surrounded by him and the experience she had. She unclasped her dress and stepped out of it, leaving her clad in only her beige strapless strip. She picked her dress up and hung in it the large closet that was positioned to the side of her bed before taking a seat at the vanity. She took off her earrings and bracelet and placed them on the surface while grabbing a makeup wipe and roughly rubbing off the color that had adorned her eyelids. Her eyes felt so heavy like she had not slept in months. She climbed into the bed and wrapped the covers over her entire body. She permitted herself to cry briefly before allowing herself to remember that tomorrow was another day. She fell asleep with her fingers resting to her lips and thoughts of simpler times when three words and eight letters seemed to fix everything.

2:14 AM

That was the time the clock read when she heard the pounding on the door. Her eyelids fluttered repeatedly as she tried to stir herself to move from the bed. Swinging her legs off the side of the bed she walked towards the door only to quickly realizing she was standing there barely clad in her underwear. "One minute," she yelled out before going to the closet and grabbing her robe. She swung the silk over her shoulders and placed her arms through, tying the knot slightly before going back towards the door where the pounding had ceased. Opening the door she saw him standing there looking quite disheveled in comparison to the man she had seen only some five hours before.

"Hey," Blair said smiling at him while trying to suppress the yawn that was escaping her mouth.

"Were you sleeping? Sorry. Listen I can come back. I shouldn't have come down here. I know it's late. I just..." Chuck began rambling but she intercepted him mid-sentence, "No. No. I'm awake. It's fine. Please, come in."

He walked past her into the room and began looking around nervously. It was as if he didn't know where to stand or even how to stand. He didn't know where he was suppose to sit, there wasn't a single seat in this room beside at her vanity or on the bed. Something he definitely thought he should have taken into consideration before jumping into the elevator after waking up in a cold sweat and heading down here. He should have thought about how awkward this would be while he was standing in front of her room door with the numbers 1812 almost mocking him. He should have thought about everything but his body had rebelled against him and led him down here. True, he had plenty of time to think in those twenty minutes he had stood in front of the door before knocking but he felt almost in a trance. All he could think was that she was on the other side of this door and that she had come to him and he turned her away. He turned away all he wanted because "it wasn't enough." He laughed inwardly of course it was enough, it was all he wanted. The rest would sort itself out. The rest would be clear but only if she was by his side. Forgiving was definitely a place far off in the future but forgetting? Could he just forget and work on forgiving over time? Was that acceptable? He didn't know but he knew that if he didn't knock on this door then falling back asleep could be a far off time too.

She walked past him and took a seat on the edge of the bed and patted the place next to her. He looked at her wearily before grabbing the stool that was placed under her vanity top and placing it in front of her and taking his seat.

"Have you been up this whole time?" She asked.

"No. I fell asleep for a little while. I think Jack kicking out his evening entertainment may have woken me," he explained, not wanting to tell her that he woke up sweating and almost screaming her name.

"Ah. You didn't feel like joining in the festivities?" she asked while glaring at him innocently. He simply shrugged and found a spot on the wall where the paint appeared slightly lighter to fix his gaze on.

"Are you hungry? Do you want me to order something?" Blair asked and Chuck just shook his head.

She took the hint at the point and pushed herself back towards the top of the bed to rest her head against the headboard and continue to stare at him. He lifted his gaze to her and smiled slightly before getting up and joining her on the other side of the bed and sitting in the same position.

Suddenly he spoke, "How did we get here?" It was such a small but loaded question. She didn't know the right answer. She was afraid to say the wrong thing and send him fleeing. So she settled with what was the most obvious statement, "I have no clue." Neither looked at each other as they spoke. The only sound was that of breathing which was a task for both at this moment. Blair sighed before moving away from the headboard and placing herself indian style facing Chuck. They again began the staring competition they had started earlier. Blair picked at the comforter waiting for the moment to pass.

"I do," was all he said to her in a voice barely above a whisper. She stared at him confused but he clarified for her, "I do still want a future with you." Her heart began to pound rapidly to the point where she was positive he could see it through the silk of her robe. She gulped and suppressed the urge to reach out and grab him.

"I want to start over. I know we have both done a lot of things to hurt each other, most even on purpose but i don't want to do that anymore. I know we are going to mess up and I know we will hurt each other but I wanna trust that everything you do is an attempt to prevent it and not cause it. I wanna build a life with you. I just want to be with you and not worry that one day you are going to wake up and change your mind," only when he was done speaking did he look up to her face. There were tears streaming down it at a rapid pace but a smile was plastered on her lips. He reached out and whipped the tears from her face and after reached down to hold her hands in his.

"I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I will do anything to make you believe that. I will make you trust me again," she spoke passionately and he returned the same smile towards her that she had given him.

The moment was interrupted by another knock on the door but Chuck was to his feet before Blair could think to move. He opened the door and grabbed something for a hotel employee and placed a tip in his hand and muttered some kind of thanks. He shut the door and turned around with a bottle of champagne in his hands and two glasses placing them down on the vanity before beginning to uncork the bottle. She stared at him for a moment before getting up to stand next to him.

"I take it that you were confident we were going to be celebrating since you ordered that before you even got here," Blair stated with a smirk.

Chuck popped the bottle and poured the two glasses before passing one over to her.

"I was under the impression that you were fighting for me. Since I came down here I didn't believe I had much of a reason to be nervous about you not wishing to celebrate my decision," Chuck stated arrogantly. "I also had about twenty minutes to kill while staring at the door and deciding whether to knock. I figured either way the champagne would be of use to one if not both of us."

Blair rolled her eyes and stepped closer toward him. "So, what should we toast to?" she asked. He looked at her and seemed to be musing to find the proper answer. What exactly were they toasting to? He didn't know himself. Outside that door all he had thought of was forgetting. He didn't forgive her, not even close. He couldn't lie to her and make a grand toast about them and the future even though he made the same grand speech while sitting on the bed with her only minutes ago. He was a mess. He was torn between wanting to just get lost in the moment and realizing that a moment couldn't make up for what he had gone through the past year. He had to make a choice because she was staring at him like he had grown a second head because of his hesitation.

"Tonight. Let's toast to tonight," was all he muttered before raising his glass and clinking it against hers. She was to lost in the moment and her unexpected victory to notice the hesitation in his voice. They both downed their respected glasses immediately and placed them back upon the vanity before returning their glances to one another. This was it Chuck thought to himself. He knew where this was going and once again was torn between giving in and running like a Bass out of hell straight out of that hotel room.

He walked forward and wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down touching his lips upon hers and in that moment every thought he had vanished from his mind. She returned his kiss eagerly wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing her body as close as possible against his. There was a fireworks show going off in her head every time she felt his body providing friction against hers. His hands began grabbing at every inch of her he could touch and she kept pulling his mouth together and closer to hers while diving her tongue in. Nothing was gentle. Passion had taken over and any thoughts of a gentle and slow paced reunion were erased as teeth began smashing into each other when not biting and pulling upon anything else they came into contact with.

She pushed him sharply onto the bed before jumping upon him and straddling him with her legs on either side of his knees before returning to the same passionate kisses. His nimble hands quickly untied the robe that was around her and he aggressively pushed the flimsy material from upon her body leaving it in a forgotten heap upon the bed. Once again his hands began to roam and caress any inch of skin he could reach while he felt her small fingers making quick work of the buttons on his shirt. She pulled his shirt out of his pants and pushed it off of his body while moving her mouth to his neck and kissing the tender skin in between small love bites she was leaving. His moans only provided her further encouragement as she moved her mouth in a path down his neck and chest and quickly reached the skin just above his pants. Her hands quickly reached for his belt and pulled it off in one swift motion before she attended to readjusting herself just enough to free his legs of the material of his pants. She climbed back to the position where her core was rubbing against his crotch and went back to kissing him with the same passion. His hands came to the material that was now gathered at her hips from her slip and he lifted it off of her head and stopped briefly to marvel at her sitting on top of him wearing only a pair of tiny beige silk la perla's. She stared down at him and for a moment felt self conscious at the way he was glaring at her and almost made to cover herself with her hands before he grabbed them from her and flipped her over onto her back.

He began the same assault on her neck that she had previously giving him being sure to suck her skin enough to leave marks but not enough to give her more pain then pleasure. His path went down to the valley of her breasts before he carefully began licking one of her nipples and then sucking upon it gently eliciting slight cries from her as he moved back and forth from one breast to the other. Once he was sure that he had lavished enough attention he began a slow and devious path down the rest of her body before his mouth came to her panties and he ran his teeth every so slightly against the silky material. She was quivering beneath him as he pulled the material down her legs while kissing her thighs and legs all the way down before making the same movements on the way back up. She roughly pulled his hair dragging his mouth back up to hers and began her mouths assault upon his yet again.

Her hands reached down pushing his boxers from his hips and using her legs until they were pooled at his feet so that he could push them off completely. He stopped kissing her and stared back down at her again while gently caressing her cheek and placing a chaste kiss upon her lips.

"Chuck..." she whispered.

"Hummm?" he mumbled back still staring at her.

"I...I" she stuttered and he took hold of both sides of her face and kissed her again.

"I know. I do too," was all he said as he shifted his weight above her and gently slid himself into her.


	4. Chapter 4

Bright light was streaming through the windows. Chuck blinked his eyes rapidly trying to readjust to the invasion that was taking place. He looked down to the ground to see scattered clothing, an empty bottle of champagne and it's accompanying glasses littering the floor. Looking up to the wall and intricate baroque wall paper, it quickly became clear to him that he was not in his own suite. As he attempted to sit up, he realized he was being restrained by legs wrapped around his waist and a head resting upon his shoulder. He looked down toward where Blair had temporarily attached herself to him with an iron grip. The events of the previous evening came back to him at a rapid pace that was causing his head to pound more by the second. He let out an exasperated sigh and threw his body back down against the bed causing Blair to begin stirring. He scolding himself inwardly for waking her before he had a chance to fully grasp the situation that was at hand and what his next steps should be.

She to blinked her eyes in an attempt to take in the morning sun coming through the uncovered windows of her Monte Carlo suite and looked down at Chuck innocently.

"Good morning," she whispered while leaning down and capturing his lips.

"Morning," he replied as he accepted her gesture and placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Blair giggled and sat up placing her elbow on his chest. Her hands began rubbing the upper part of his body while her mouth was placing small kisses all upon his neck in a descent towards his adams apple. She stopped her ministrations and threw her hair over to the side to expose her neck to him.

"Well, I'm not sure what your plans were for today, but I figured we could stay in for a while before my flight back," she stated matter of factly, while readjusting her body so that she was in the dominant position on top of him. She moved her mouth back to his neck where she began sucking on the sensitive skin and nibbling on his ear while running her hands down to meet his exposed lower half.

He grabbed her hands and pulled them above her head before he comprehend the words that had come out her mouth and held her there while staring into her eyes.

"Your flight back?" he asked confused.

"Well, of course silly. You didn't think I really was going to stay after I accomplished my goal," she said as she began to push her hips sharply against his. He released her hands and she again began raking them over his chest and running her nails down his arms. When she noticed that his movements below her had seized, she sat straight up on him bearing herself to him naked and raised her eyebrows as if to question his resistance.

He felt his heart rate increasing by the second and the look on his face was that of sheer panic. She was staring down at him naked but her image was blurred to him and all he could hear was a repetition of her words playing over and over into his head.

"Your goal?" he asked sheepishly.

"You bought it again. Hook. Line. Sinker," she stated enunciating each word while grinding herself against him. "Don't feel bad. You really had me going when you kicked me out of your room last night. Honestly, I thought this would be a little more of a challenge."

He gripped her thighs tightly and pushed her body from his to the other side of the bed and stood up in one swift motion. He ran his hand through his hair and began pacing a small area of the carpet while staring at her.

Blair let out a small laugh and stood up striding toward Chuck. She grabbed her robe off the floor and tied it loosely around her waist before approaching him and throwing a robe in his direction. He caught it barely and threw it over his shoulders without his eyes ever leaving hers.

"Chuck, listen it's a game. We love games. Your just upset because this time I won. I seem to be on a winning streak as of the past year or so. Actually, I can't recall the last time you really won against me. When is the last time you really hurt me in the way that I'm able to hurt you?" she asked.

She backed away and strolled over to the vanity table and took her place at the seat and began to brush out her hair before resuming her speech. "I thought you understood the pretenses of last night. I'm not in love with you, remember? We can continue to play this game and go back to New York all lovey dovey but in the end we all know the truth. Your never going to be good enough for me. Your not a prince and your not an up and coming writer who built himself from nothing. Your father handed you everything you ever had and then came back to take it all away. Your new money, if that, at best and it doesn't matter if you put on a suit and tie everyday to play dress up and head off to your hotel office, Waldorf's don't end up with Bass's. So let's just pretend we never had this conversation and go back to having fun. It was always the chase you were most interested in anyway, right?"

Chuck stood motionless staring at her. His eyes began to water and he felt himself coming unglued. He kept opening his mouth, willing any words to come out. He felt as though he had lost his voice and that the lump in his throat was beginning to inhibit his breathing ability.

Blair sighed deeply one more time before getting up and standing straight in front of Chuck again. "It's just a game Chuck. It's just a game. It's just a game. It's just a game..."

He woke up gasping for air and grabbing at the sheets beneath him. He was staring with eyes wide open, straight out into a dark hotel room not able to focus his vision or recall what had been reality. He heard a light groan from beside him and looked over to see what he could best make out as Blair's sleeping form beside him tossing lightly.

"It was a dream," he mused out loud to himself before gently placing his back down upon the mattress. Blair tossed again, rolling over and placing her head onto his chest and humming lightly before seeming to slip effortlessly back to sleep. He gently moved her hair behind her ear and rubbed her cheek with his knuckles, still trying to convince himself that the events of a few hours ago had actually taken place. She was there, she was real, and everything that had happened had actually been. Still, he couldn't avoid the fact that the words, "It's just a game" kept replaying in his head over and over.

He knew that he could leave right now if he wanted to. He could run. She had said that she would fight for him, so if that was really that case then why didn't he just go. Maybe he needed some more proof. He had given in to easily and now he was plaguing himself with doubt rather then reveling in the fact that everything he ever wanted was laying next to him naked and gripping his naked body like a lifeline. No matter how much he wanted to enjoy this moment he knew far to well that the chain of events he had allowed to occur was a mistake. This wasn't the way they were suppose to start the rest of their lives. He wasn't suppose to be looking at her with an air of mistrust and an inability to give himself over to her completely.

Suddenly, he remembered Bart. The most odd reaction he had ever had to a woman lying naked on top of him but a valid one none the less. He remembered why he had taken this journey with Jack and what he had hoped to accomplish. He remembered that he was still waiting on hearing if he even still had his stake in the Empire after his father had kicked him from Bass industries and effectively left him out in the cold. He recalled that he had planned to call Lily that night and see how she was coping with the news that he husband had returned from the dead and that she had decided to leave her brooklynite husband and, once again, take on the roll of second fiddle to a powerful man. He remembered Nate and his offer to spend yet another summer finding themselves upon his girlfriend leaving to go off on some second rate acting gig. He remembered calling Serena and her saying that all she wanted to do was "become someone else" and that she would call him when she had figured out what that even meant.

He had plans. He had made concrete plans based on people he valued and those he needed to vanquish. While the woman lying on top of him may have been the one that he valued most, his plans with her had ceased the second she told him that she was no longer in love with him. It is true he attempted to come to her in an effort to secure her friendship and keep her planted in some way in his life, but this? This was not what he had planned for. He had spent so longer worrying about her that he ceased to take care of himself. While she may have spent the last year going through a meaningless marriage and divorce, dealing with the loss of a child and engaging in some substandard relationship with Dan Humphrey in order to "be better for him," all he had done was make himself worse for, well, himself and her.

He saw the first signs of the sun start to protrude through the curtains and tried to slow his thoughts enough so that he could succumb back to sleep and gain valuable time to come to a rationale decision but all he could hear was the incessant chanting of "It's just a game" playing through his mind.

He carefully untangled himself from Blair's grip and placed the pillow near her head so that she could come to a comfortable position before extracting himself completely. Chuck gathered his clothes off of the floor and threw them on in a hap hazardous manner. He looked down at Blair and pulled the comforter further over her before placing a kiss upon her forehead. He headed towards the hotel room door and looked back at her one last time before opening the door and heading out.


	5. Chapter 5

So, I definitely feel like this story maybe moving a little slow since I've only covered twelve hours in five chapters but after the dinner it should pick up quite a bit and everyone else will be thrown into the mix soon enough. Please review and let me know what you are thinking of the story so far. This is my first time writing a piece and I'm trying to stay frequent with the updates because I know how much I despise waiting on them but I don't want to push to much out without more feedback. Thanks!

The second Chuck heard the door lock click behind him, he was positive that he had lost his mind. He had spent the majority of the last five years focused on Blair Waldorf in some way, shape or form and every time he finally had her within his grasp he had let her just slip away.

Blair's cotillion. He couldn't stop his meddling ways long enough to just let things play out the way they would have if he had not interfered. The helipad to Tuscany. He couldn't put aside his own fears of change long enough to realize what he had in front of him. A party in the Hamptons and a random Brooklyn rooftop. He was unable to put his pride aside and just say those three little words first. His father's funeral. He was to far gone and deep in his own grief to be able to reciprocate the words that were burning the tip of his tongue. Blair's bedroom. Where he fled from the night of his father's funeral and left a note that plagued her with fear for over a month about whether he was even alive. Then his continued downward spiral upon his return. It took him quite a lot of mistakes but finally he seemed to get it all right. He had given Blair the perfect prom and even after a series of revealing blasts from Gossip Girl upon graduation and a brief trip to Europe, he came back and said the words she had so desperately longed to hear from him.

He spent almost an entire year living in a form of domestic bliss. That was until he made the gravest of his errors. He had set up the only person who he ever felt true, unconditional love for so that he could ensure his possession of a pile of bricks. An obscenely expensive pile of bricks, but in relation to what he lost in that transaction, the Empire held no value. Thus began another downward spiral that he capped off with an evening with Jenny Humphrey and he found himself back at square one. Alone.

So he ran away. He ran away and became someone else. That of course didn't last long once she came back into his life through a series of twists of fate. Even after all he had done to her, she still showed him the compassion to accept him back into her world and his way of repaying her? He brought a prostitute back with him and lavished her to an extent that he had never bestowed upon Blair. Then there was the war. The one he initiated upon Blair effectively sending Eva running for the hills. The war that ending with them both declaring that no matter how much had happened, nothing between them had changed. Then that night at Saints and Sinners, he just let her walk away. He knew in his heart that he put up a minuscule fight to try to reestablish their relationship that evening and his actions the following weeks with Reina had only strengthened Blair's resolve that she had made the proper decision in saying that it wasn't the right time for them to be together.

He spent months detached and only upon hearing of Blair's engagement did he come running back to her. Well, staggering would have been the better term. Wasted, loud and lacking all sense of rationale he planned to get down on one knee and sweep her off her feet. What a joke. But, she came back anyway. That night at the Bar Mitzvah. He had her. She gave herself to him and he chose that moment to be selfless and just let her go. Let her go, to marry another man.

Up until the events that had occurred a few hours ago, that was the last mistake he felt the need to own up to. In the past year he had sat idly by while receiving wedding invitations and news that Blair was pregnant with a child that was not his. He had allowed her to use him to figure out what was wrong with her fiance and how to make him stop acting more like the old Chuck and more like the new one. He had attempted to step aside so that she could keep the family she was creating intact and only upon a reunion initiated by Dan, did he give into what he wanted and what he thought she needed. Then there was a car crash. A wedding he tried to avoid but was dragged into. A run away bride that ran to a different man. A divorce that he had paid for selflessly and yet was still blamed for having ulterior motives. There was a relationship with Dan, of all people, that was shoved in his and Serena's faces without mercy. Come to think of it, Blair hadn't even mentioned Dan. She must have ended things with him right? Did he leave for Italy? Was she waiting to see if Chuck welcomed her back with open arms with no contingency plan or did she have a plane ticket ready and waiting?

He needed a drink. A strong, large drink. He headed toward the elevator and slid his penthouse key and leaned back against the wall for the ascent. The doors opened revealing his suite which was awkwardly silent. He looked at the large wall clock and read the time of 6:54 AM. He sighed gravely and began to rub his eyes. The exhaustion in conjunction with the past hours was weighing heavily on him. He headed toward the bar and shifted through the bottles till he found the most expensive and poured himself three fingers full. He sat on the bat stool, fidgeting with the glass in his hand, taking slow precise swigs until the glass was empty.

Though his thoughts were still muddled, it was clear to him that walking out of Blair's suite was a mistake. The events that had occurred were no mistake. He loved her. He wanted to be with her in every way he could but as usual it was the timing that was off. He may have been angry with her and resentful toward the things she had done but walking out without so much of a conversation is not what he would have wished if he had been in her position and he owed her at least a conversation after what he had allowed to take place.

He pushed his glass toward the center of the bar and walked into his bedroom. He knew he had an hour at best before Blair woke up and he knew he had work to do if she was going to accept waking with to an empty bed and have a conversation with him. He stripped of his clothes and climbed in the shower. He pulled the faucet on full blast cold in hopes of coming back down and sobering up for what was sure to be an intense breakfast.

For the second time within hours, Blair awoke to knocking on the door.

"Chuck, someone's knocking," she muttered without opening her eyes or moving an inch. The knocking came again, a little louder this time and she opened her eyes. "Chuck, I'm still undressed, can you..." she flipped over to find the other side of her king size bed empty. She pouted her lips in confusion and felt over the spot in the bed to find it cold meaning it had been vacant for sometime. Her eyes darted around her empty suite until the knocking came one more time. She sighed to herself and got up grabbing her robe off the floor and tying it on. She walked over to the door and looked through the peep hole to see a hotel employee standing with a cart of covered food.

Blair opened the door and the staff greeted her, "Good morning Miss Waldorf." "Morning?," Blair asked, "What time is it?" "It's 8 AM miss," the man responding while walking into the room and wheeling the cart passed her.

"Mister Bass asked that the hotel have this delivered. He apologizes. He is currently in a meeting and will be here to join you as soon as possible," the man explained.

Blair let of a sigh of relief, believing that Chuck had merely left on business and not as a result of what had occurred between them. "Thank you, let me just get my purse and..."

"No need miss. Mister Bass took care of everything," he explained before pulling the tray covers off and heading back toward the door. "Enjoy and have a wonderful morning."

Blair glared down at the assortment of breakfast options and grabbed a blueberry popping it into her mouth. She made a small plate and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over her legs and leaning back against the headboard. She had made little headway on her meal when the knocking on her door began again. Anticipating Chuck's arrival, she quickly placed her plate on the nightstand before jumping up and walking quickly to the door. She flung it open and took in the sight of Chuck dressed impeccably well and looking quite rested for someone going on as little of sleep as they both were.

"Good morning," Blair hummed as she grabbed Chuck by the hand and pulled him into the room, slamming the door behind her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in giving him a passionate kiss. His hands came to rest on her hips as he pulled away and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Good morning it is," he replied.

"You know, I hate waking up alone. Though, I will let it slide since I'm guessing you had prior business arrangements. Plus, you gave me extra time to recuperate for our days activities," she stated staring him in the eye seductively before bringing her mouth to his neck and beginning to nibble. "Blair, actually, we need to..." Chuck began but was cut off by her gentle sucking which made his breath hitch and his eyes roll back. "Oh and did I mention breakfast," she mused with her hot breath against his sensitive skin, "I was absolutely famished, thank you."

Chuck regained his composure and took a step back, though he left his hands resting on her hips. "Listen, I think we need to talk," he stated quietly though with a serious tone.

She looked him in the eyes and brought her hands down to intertwine with his while suppressing a gulp. "How about after breakfast?" she asked sheepishly. "Sure. Yeah, of course, he said back as he released one of her hands but still kept a loose hold on the other while pulling her toward the cart.

"Sorry, I started without you. Like I said, famished," she stated as she sat back on the bed and again pulled the blankets over her legs, suddenly feeling self conscious at this suggestion of talking. "No, don't worry about it. I've build quite the appetite myself," he replied while smirking at her. The smirk seemed to loosen her up and she leaning back comfortably while taking small bites of her yogurt. Chuck finished making his plate and took a respective seat next to her on the bed.

"So, any interesting business dealings this morning," Blair asked.

"Actually, I just had to call and find out about Jack's whereabouts. It seems sometime after I came down here last night he went out for round two," Chuck explained.

Blair looked at him confused. "So you left to go check on Jack?" she asked.

"Not exactly," he muttered. She looked at him, waiting for him to go on.

"I just. I needed to clear my head," he said quietly while shoving a piece of eclair into his mouth.

"So, when you left did you have the intention of coming back?" she asked looking down at her plate and suddenly feeling nauseous.

"Blair. It's just. Listen, last night was amazing but I can't help but feel like we rushed into things. There's just a lot to talk about and..." he trailed off placing his fork on his plate and placing both upon the nightstand.

"Right. Of course," she whispered beginning to feel tears pooling in her eyes.

"I have a conference call with Bart in a little while that can't be rescheduled but I was hoping maybe I could take you to dinner tonight? We'll go to Port de Fontvieille right on the water. Catch up. Talk about everything," he asked with a slight hesitation.

She willed herself to not let the tears flow and nodded her head slightly. "Yes, of course that sounds lovely," she mumbled.

"Hey. Listen, everything is going to be ok. Alright. No tears. Just, give me tonight ok," he rambled looking in her eyes and grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly.

"Ok," was all Blair could get out as the lump in her throat began to grow.

Chuck picked up her hand and kissed it before standing up and pulling her with him. "Tonight. 8 PM," he said looking her square in the eyes.

Blair smiled at him slightly and nodded. Chuck leaned in and gave her a short, sweet kiss on the lips before releasing her hand and walking toward the door. He placed his hand on the knob and opened it but paused looking back at Blair.

"I promise it's all going to work out. You'll see," he stated before turning and leaving the hotel room.

Once the door closed, Blair sat down on the bed and gasped, finally letting the tears flow down her face. She knew something wasn't right. The fact that he wasn't lying in bed next to her was proof enough of that. She dried her eyes and began to recall her words to him the previous evening about fighting for him and making her trust him and realized that she needed to remain strong and not let this minor set back derail her mission. She had known before coming here that this was going to be hard and was going to take time. She finished her breakfast and settled back into bed hoping to catch some rest and be prepared and rejuvenated for her date this evening where she would begin building the groundwork.


	6. Chapter 6

"Little nephew, your back," mused Jack who was sitting on the couch of their shared suite wearing only a large white robe and puffing on a cigar.

"I was back around two hours ago and you were no where to be found," responded Chuck as he walked over to the bar and pulled a bottle of water from the mini fridge.

"Well, while I don't need to explain my whereabouts to you since they won't be directly effecting our goal here, let's just say I had some personal matters to attend to," Jack explained while reaching for the table to hold up the bag pot he had procured during his time away from the room. "Let's just say after last evening I think we are both in need of a little stress relief."

Chuck laughed and took a seat in the recliner, unbuttoning his suit jacket. "I couldn't agree more, unfortunately I think we should wait until after the meeting with Bart. We still need to wire everything up so that it looks like your in Australia and I'm untraceable," Chuck explained.

"Details..." Jack muttered while pulling out papers and beginning to roll up a joint. "Speaking of details, tell me, was it everything you hoped it would be?"

"Excuse me?" Chuck asked sitting up straight.

"You and the wife? Was your reunion everything that you had hoped for? I'm just curious because it seems you have returned fairly early for someone of your self proclaimed stamina," Jack uttered before licking the paper and sealing it with his lighter.

"I'll deal with those details this evening. Right now we focus on Bart," Chuck spewed back.

Jack laughed and lit the joint, inhaling deeply before letting out a small cough. "Whatever you say nephew. You just seemed that you were in need of some friendly advice and you know you can always count on uncle Jack to give you the most sound opinion you can come by," he stated and sealed with a smirk.

Chuck stared at him blankly before clearing his throat, "I gave in" was all he uttered.

"Congratulations. Looks like your fairytale is back on," he responded while twirling the joint between his fingers.

"Not exactly," Chuck muttered looking up at the ceiling.

Jack peered back at him and placed the joint in the ashtray before clearing his throat, "Listen, I don't necessarily believe in this love thing that you two kids seem to be going on and on about but what I do know is that you have both gone through a whole lot of trouble to not have at least earned yourselves months of sexual gratification in the future. I say, whatever is holding you back, let it go. Forgive and forget. You are two damaged individuals and it's not like either of you are capable of withstanding the same depths with anyone else because well no one else is quite as masochistic as Blair and Chuck. Stop over thinking it, just reap the fruits of your labor and relax. And start that relaxation by hitting this." He reached out and grabbed the joint from the ashtray and held it in Chuck's direction.

Chuck rolled his eyes and groaned before grabbing the joint and taking a hit and handing it back towards Jack's direction.

"There's the Chuck I know," Jack offered back. "Now let's go give my dear old brother some convincing that things are always as they have been and that you and I are like oil and water."

"Whatever analogy you want to use is fine with me. Just save the rest of the bag till after we succeed," Chuck stated before heading into the office with Jack following behind him.

Blair awoke a few hours later feeling refreshed and with a renewed sense of purpose. Tonight she would begin to sort things out with Chuck which was definitely her first priority but she had other matters to attend to as well and instead of spending the hours leading up to their date this evening panicking, she figured she could use as many distractions as possible. She pulled out her phone to see that she had fifteen missed calls and an array of text messages but they were all from Dorota and her mother. Her email inbox resembled a similar makeup.

She had sent Dan a slew of texts and emails upon failing to show up at the Shepard divorce party in an attempt to explain her actions but she wasn't shocked that he had never replied back. She may have felt bad for not having the decency to end things with him in person but she was positive she had made the right decision. She appreciated much of what he had done for her in the previous year when he was acting as her friend but she had a hard time sorting out what was real and what he had done in an attempt to gain her trust and in turn manipulate her into a damsel in distress that needed his rescuing. She knew upon leaving that she was cutting any real friendship ties with Dan that she thought actually existed but she still felt the need to close the chapter for good.

Blair let out a long sigh before picking up her phone and scrolling down to Dan's number and hitting call. The phone rang only twice before she was certain he had hit the ignore button and his voicemail message began to play through the speaker. After the beep, Blair cleared her throat and began, "Dan. Hey, it's Blair, as your probably already know. Um, I just, I wanted to apologize for leaving and not giving you, well just not ending things in person. It was wrong and I'm sorry. As you probably figured out I'm trying to work on things with Chuck and I just needed to clear the air here. I know that sounds selfish and it is but I, well I just needed to do this. I'm sorry again and just thanks for everything. You were really there for me when I was to stubborn to let anyone else in and I'll always be grateful for that. Good luck in Italy Humphrey," Blair rambled before hanging up the phone.

"Goodbye mistake," Blair stated tossing her phone on the bed. Hey, she said sorry. She counted herself officially off the hook from anything Humphrey would try holding over her in the future. She could have given him both sides of the equation which would have resulted in a much longer voicemail and probably a further disgruntled problem she may have to encounter upon her return to New York. Blair wasn't quite sure where Lily and Rufus stood upon Bart's return and if they were still together after everything was said and done then the chances of cutting Dan out completely were not very probable. The call to Dan was not only attempting to undo a series of wrongs but basic Waldorf damage control.

"Round two," she uttered picking the phone back up off the bed. She hit speed dial number two and listened to the ringing. The line picked up but no words were said. Blair heard breathing on the other line. "Serena?" Blair asked. Silence. "Serena, please. I just want to talk."

"I think you said everything you had to say to me when you threw me out of your house last week," Serena fired back.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong," Blair replied. Silence. "You were right about everything. I was just to stubborn to admit it. I made a mistake, a whole bunch of mistakes. I'm so sorry for everything and I understand if you can never forgive me but I owed it to you after everything we have gone through to apologize for what I did. If you and Chuck ever, well, if anything every happened between you two I know how I would react and for me to not have taken your feelings into consideration was insensitive and morally abhor able. You are my best friend and I will do whatever I have to, to prove to you that I will never hurt you again. Ever."

"Thank you for the call. I just, I need time. Maybe when I'm back in New York. But now, now is just it's to soon," Serena replied tearfully.

"I understand. Thank you for hearing me out. I love you S," Blair replied.

After a slight hesitation, Serena responded, "I love you too B," and promptly hung up the phone.

Well, that took care of the two main obstacles. A text to Dorota and an email to her mother would suffice and would at least buy her some additional time to sort things out with Chuck hopefully. She grabbed the hotel phone and called down to the lobby. "Hi, this is Blair Waldorf in room 1812. Yes, I need to make a spa appointment. The whole works." Now to prepare for her date with Chuck.

"Mr. Bass apologizes for not being able to join in on our conference. As you are probably aware he is working on resolving some personal matters with Mrs. Bass or should I say Humphrey," the man gracing the computer screen explained to Chuck and Jack. Jack was set up in the main office while Chuck used his laptop in his bedroom.

"You can call her whatever you wish as long as it gets us down to business quicker," Jack replied while moving closer to the screen.

"Yes well, this seems to be laid out pretty simply. Everything is to go back exactly as it was before Mr. Bass's temporary absence. In reference to the earnings acquired, you will all remain whole. Charles, you will retain possession of the Empire Hotel complete and full and your stakes in Bass Industries will continue to pay out annuities. Jack, as for you the same applies. Mr. Bass wanted me to make it clear to you that currently his will, will remain the same but should either of you attempt to undermine his resuming the CEO position it will be dealt with accordingly," the man explained.

"Well, since my dear old brother left me nothing what is there to keep me good and honest?" Jack questioned.

"Mr. Bass was aware you would ask such a question but did not offer a consequence. He merely stated that all actions will be dealt with accordingly," he replied.

"Thank you for you time sir, I think we have heard all we need to," Chuck replied.

"Yes, well good day gentlemen," the man responded before ending the call.

Chuck and Jack met in the main room and both sat down. "That went better than anticipated," Chuck said.

"Better for you. What kind of game is he playing here? He gave you all the ammo you needed to destroy him. If he isn't going after the money then we both have plenty to use against him. Plus, with your steaks in Bass all we need to do is get some shareholders on our side and we can oust him," Jack stated.

"He is trying to keep us quiet. Trying to have us stop looking for what is really going on here. He couldn't take the company and leave me with nothing, The New York Times wouldn't take kindly to publishing that story after the touching Bart Bass lives expo they just published. He is retaining image. He must know we are in contact and if he keeps me in the loop he figures you are less of a liability" Chuck retorted.

"Well that is a plan he didn't think through quite as throughly as his fake death," Jack replied while grabbing a rolled joint of the table and inhaling deeply.

"Listen, let's not get into this right now. You have yet to explain to me how long you kept that news from me and for the mean time, I trust you. Let's not add additional problems into this," Chuck replied while standing up.

"And where do you think that you are going? We have work left to do. A plan to set in motion," Jack said, sitting up straight in his chair.

"For now, we wait. See how things will Lily shake out. See what steps Bart takes. We continue to acquire as much revenue as possible. Regardless of what we have, we need to keep the money coming in. He can cut off our shares at anytime with the proper amount of backing. Plus, if he secures Lily's trust he will have her shares too which is plenty to keep us from seeing the inside of any boardrooms anytime soon," Chuck reasoned, "Take the day and the night off."

"I'm not going to argue with that suggestion," Jack replied before leaning back and continuing to puff his joint.

Chuck walked into the other room and picked up his cell phone, dialing a number. "Hi, this is Chuck Bass. I need a few favors for this evening," he stated.

Sorry! I know, some were expecting the date to be this chapter. I needed to do a little more sorting out before I got into all that good stuff. I wanted to show that both of them were actually working on all their separate issues instead of just having them tell each other. The date is next chapter and it should be a long one. Thanks again for the reviews, I really appreciate them and will continue to update accordingly with what I receive!


	7. Chapter 7

Kind of disappointed with the low number of reviews after the last chapter even though there was no C/B interaction. Hoping this one will bring in some more that can motivated me to keep getting these updates out quickly. Thanks again for reading and please remember to review. Thanks!

7:58 PM

Blair had been sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the hotel room door for what felt like hours when she finally heard the soft knocking. She strolled over to the door and opened it, revealing Chuck in his perfectly put together gray suit and royal blue pocket square that coincidently matched her dress. In his hands was a bouquet of white peonies which he promptly handed towards Blair's direction while doling, "Exquisite as always" as he took in her appearance before him.

"Hello to you to," Blair responded taking the flowers into her hand, "and thank you." She held the flowers up near her face and let the fragrance waft through her senses before turning back into the room and placing them on the vanity.

Chuck entered the room behind her and watched as she gathered items off the vanity and placed them into her clutch. "How did your meeting go?" she asked.

"Business as usual. Bart was actually quite generous after his scene last week. Which of course means he is hiding something," Chuck explained.

"Well, you know if you are in need of a scheming partner, I know someone with very solid references," Blair replied while smirking at Chuck.

"I'm sure your person is top notch but I would rather keep the business and pleasure separate. At least for the time being," he answered her. She glanced down at the floor sullenly. "How was the rest of your day?" he asked trying to break her train of thought.

"Uh Blissful. I spent some much needed hours at the spa," Blair explained. "I also took care of some personal matters myself but I think we should save that conversation for after dinner so I don't ruin my appetite."

Chuck let out a small laugh, "You ready to go then?" he asked. Blair nodded before grabbing her clutch off the table and they both headed out the door.

Silence. An entire limo ride of almost absolute silence except for the occasional throat clear from Chuck and the sound of Blair cracking her knuckles. The limo came to a stop and the driver opened the door. Chuck leaned to exit and Blair put her hand on his knee, he stopped his action and shifted toward her.

"Chuck, I know we have a lot to discuss but can we just try to roll over this awkward silence. I want you to feel free to say whatever it is that you want to say to me. We both know that ignoring everything isn't going to fix anything," Blair stated.

Chuck sighed while interlacing his fingers with hers. "I know your right, I'm just not really sure where we are suppose to start here," he explained.

"Let's start by getting a drink and loosening you up. I'm sure once we weaken our inhibitions a bit, the conversation will flow a little more naturally," Blair answered confidently while tightening the grip his hand had on hers.

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek before climbing out of the limo and pulling her up and out with him. They headed inside the restaurant where they were seated in a private room over looking the harbor and immediately ordered a scotch for him and a gin martini for her. Once the waiter brought their drinks, they placed their orders and relaxed into their chairs. The view of the windows of the restaurant onto the pier was absolutely breathtaking and it was a shame that they couldn't sit there and merely enjoy the ambiance in one another's company.

"So, do you want to start or do you want..." Blair began to ask before Chuck interrupted her, "I'll start."

"Why now?" Chuck asked her.

"Why now?" Blair asked back slightly confused.

"Why after all this time do you want to try to make things work now? What made you come to the press conference that night? You had a million opportunities before than where I wouldn't have thought twice about us putting everything in the past but you choose that moment," Chuck was looking at her with such a broken expression. "I can't help but think that if it wasn't me who came to you about the whole Diana and Bart situation and brought you back into things than you would be sitting in Italy right now instead of here."

Blair sucked in a deep breath and fidgeted with her hands before placing them on the table and looking back at Chuck. "I will admit, you coming to me and me turning you away may have been a turning point for me. I realized in that moment truly the extent of what I was doing to you and what I was putting you through. I know that sounds insane but I was just so wrapped up in my own head that I wasn't thinking about anyone else. Once I saw Bart and told you to go back in there, then you were the only thing I could think about. I just kept thinking how hard these past months had been for you and then of all things to happen, Bart faked his own death. I just wanted to be there for you in all the ways that I realized you had tried to be there for me. Then it all became clear. There was a reason why I felt that way and it was because nothing had changed. I had tried to black out everything between us because I knew the second I was near you again that nothing would have changed," Blair attempted to explain to him in the most simple of terms what had been occurring in her over complicated thought process.

"So, your saying I'm right. If I never would have come to you than you wouldn't be here?" he asked her.

"Maybe not in this moment. But, were inevitable Chuck. Whether it took me months or years, I know in my heart I always would have loved you and regardless of how crazy I have been, I would have had my moment where it all fell into place," she answered honestly.

"Not what I was expecting but points for honesty," Chuck spewed slightly with a look of agitation on his face. "So, care to explain what happened with Dan?"

"Things were getting overly complicated. I was with Dan because it was simple and easy and he didn't challenge me. There was no questions and there was no intensity. I knew he could never break my heart because he didn't possess it. For the most part he just let me walk all over him. Then when he told me he loved me and I didn't say it back, he was constantly looking for validation that our relationship was real and I couldn't give that to him because it wasn't. The night I came to the press conference was the Shepard divorce party and he told me that if I cared about him then I would show up there and prove it to him. Then, I didn't show up. I came to you instead," Blair explained.

"And?" he asked.

"And that was the end of it. I sent him some texts and emails and tried to explain because I felt I owed him at least that but he understood the undertone in my not showing up. I called him this morning and said everything I needed to so that I could officially say that the chapter was closed without any loose ends," she replied.

"Charming. I seem to remember similar plays in the past. At least I got the courtesy of you breaking my heart in person though," Chuck stated agitatedly before grabbing his scotch and taking a large swig.

"I called Serena too," Blair added trying to change the topic or at least send it in a less hostile direction.

"Ah, and what did my dear sister have to say about all of your sudden revelations?" he asked in nothing higher than a deep whisper.

"She accepted my apology. She said she needed time though and we could try to work on everything when we both got back to the city," she replied and seemed to brighten at the prospect that someone seemed to be at least partially embracing her attempts at making amends.

"Congratulations," was all Chuck offered as their waiter reappeared and placed their appetizers on the table and swiftly took Chuck's glass to refill it.

They were again silent as they ate but once Chuck placed his fork down he stared at Blair directly in the face with a look in his eyes that caused her to gulp slightly and grab the seat of her chair with one hand in anticipation of what he was going to say next.

"Your mother gave you her company?" he asked. She looked at him strangely, not expecting that to be the next question he was going to ask her.

She fumbled a moment before coming to her senses and replying, "Yes. She is looking to retire. Wants to spend her time growing old with Cyrus in Paris near daddy and Roman and there just isn't much left for her in the fashion world. I was with her a few days before coming here and I am suppose to go back and start training with her when I see fit."

"You mean once you have me wrapped back around your dainty finger," Chuck asked with venom.

"Chuck I understand that you are angry but I'm having a hard time keeping up with the mood swings here. I am here to explain to you whatever you want me to explain and it's true I am not leaving until I get you to process if not believe every single word. You can speak to me how ever you like and in whatever tone you wish to but we both know it isn't going to change anything. I had to wait till now to have my realization and maybe it's going to take you some time but I know you will have yours too," Blair spoke clearly and concisely.

"I had my realization a long time ago but just like you attempted to kill your feelings, I killed that realization," he replied. The waiter brought his second drink which he promptly put to his mouth and swigged. "Another drink miss?" the waiter asked but Blair shook her head.

"What have you and Jack been up to?" Blair asked.

Chuck laughed slightly and placed his glass down. "Fine. We'll play that way. We are gathering ammo so that when Bart decides to play whatever cards he is holding and oust us both then we will have to proper means for a counterattack," he explained.

"You really think after all this time gone that is what he wants to do," Blair asked naively.

"Obviously the three and a half years he has been dead has changed the public opinion back to a clean record," he mused back.

"So that's how you'll be spending the whole summer? Gambling?" she asked.

"Parts of it at least. I am suppose to meet up with Nate in a few weeks for a brief break and do some researching in Dubai for a potential hotel deal. You? Your going to spend all summer training in your dear mother's sweat shop?"

Blair rolled her eyes at him and took a large sip of her martini. "I guess you could say that." Chuck's phone began beeping excessively in his pocket. "I'm sorry I must have forgot to turn it off," he stated pulling out the device.

A stream of messages were listed from Jack but the bottom two were what caught his attention.

We leave tomorrow, 9 AM. High steaks in Madrid. -J

p.s.. leave the wife at home please. -J

Chuck glared at the screen trying to come up with a reply before settling for a simple "okay" and placing his phone on silent.

"Everything ok?" Blair asked curiously.

"Never been better," Chuck stated sarcastically.

The rest of the dinner was relatively the same. Small talk with a mixture of banter that usually would have resulted in sexual tension but instead was just leaving things plainly stressful. Chuck ordered both of them one last drink at the end of the meal and sat all the way back in his chair running his fingers down the glass and staring at Blair.

"So do you have anything else to say for yourself," he mused.

"I'm not sure what else you want me to say. If there is anything else you want me to try and explain," she trailed off.

"No. I think you've explained it all," he fired back.

"So..." Blair asked before taking another deep sip of her drink.

"So what? So now that you've said everything, I either forgive you right now or I don't?" he asked with aggravation.

"I wasn't saying that I was just wondering where we go from here," she replied sheepishly.

"Well, from here we go back to the hotel and then tomorrow morning I leave for Spain and you go back to your mother's and take care of business," Chuck replied not missing a beat.

Blair stared at him with her mouth slightly agape, trying to grasp what he was saying and any underlying meaning.

"I accept your explanations and I forgive you. But, I have things I need to take care of and in order to effectively take care of them I can't be worrying about this or us right now," Chuck stated.

"So what? We just leave things as they are. Talk to you later. See you this fall?" she asked and the irritation in her voice was finally starting to come through.

"What did you expect? In approximately twenty four hours I was going to take you back with open arms and ignore the last year?" he spit back at her.

"Well you had no problem taking me back with open arms last night when you came to my suite at two in the morning for a booty call," she fired back.

"There's my girl. I was wondering when we were going to drop the sweet and innocent act and start showing our true colors," Chuck dawdled.

"You are impossible," Blair remarked rubbing her eyes.

"And you are living in a dream world," he retorted. Chuck picked up the bill and shoved in a stack of hundreds before draining the rest of his drink and walking over to Blair's chair and pulling it out. "Such a gentleman," she replied while standing and purposely placing her four inch heel into the top of his foot. He grimaced and she picked up her foot and strolled forward leaving him behind her.

"Running already Waldorf?" he asked as they were exiting the restaurant. "No, if I was you would know. I learned from the best Bass," she replied with little enthusiasm.

The driver was waiting out front and opened the limo door for them both to climb in. When Blair got in she threw her back against the seat and let out a large sigh. Chuck entered and immediately reached for the scotch situated in the bar causing Blair to groan. "What's wrong? I thought you were encouraging the drinking. Suppose to break down my walls a little. Loosen me up right?" he asked. Blair said nothing. She looked out the limo windows until they came to a stop back at the hotel. They rode the elevator in silence up to Blair's floor where Chuck had continued to follow her.

They reached her door and Blair turned around, "Thanks for dinner I guess. See you back in New York," she said as she turned the key to open the door.

"Really, not going to invite me in?" he asked her.

"Well, I have no scotch in my room so I'm pretty sure I can't accommodate your current mood," she replied back sarcastically.

Chuck shrugged and pushed her lightly through the door, following in behind her. Once in the room he picked up the phone and called down to the main desk ordering a bottle for himself and a bottle of Dom for Blair and requesting it be put on the Bass penthouse tab. Blair stood motionless staring at Chuck's actions as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and flopped into a half laying position on the bed.

Two could play at this game, she quickly decided. Blair walked toward her closet and pulled out a rode throwing it on the vanity chair. She reached down and unzipped the side of her dress completely letting it fall to the floor and leaving her clad in only a small black strapless slip. Chuck stared on at her, placing his hands behind his head against the headboard and contemplating her actions. She bent over fully to pick up her dress off the ground and give him a full view from behind and stood back up slowly. She turned around to allow him to take in the sight of her while placing the dress on a hanger and placing it on the rod in the closet. She put the robe on and tied it loosely so that the slip was completely revealed to him underneath.

She sat down at the vanity and began removing her jewelry and staring at him by using the mirror. Chuck was staring back at her intensely and feeling his resolve slip by the second not only from the large amount of scotch he had consumer during dinner but from the sight before him. His thoughts were interrupted by the knocking at the door of the staff with his order. He sat up and went to open the door, looking at Blair and waiting for her to cover herself more completely before he opened it. He slipped the man a tip and took the contents from him, placing them in front of Blair. She grabbed the scotch bottle before his hands could grasp it and undid the cap, she then poured herself a glass and took a swig before handing the bottle over to him with innocent eyes.

He caught himself chuckle and took the bottle from her and poured himself only a small glass.

"So, what time are you leaving tomorrow?" she asked.

"9 am," Chuck replied.

"Hum... Well that's not to early," Blair mused back smirking at him. She stood up and placed herself in front of him and smiled coyly. Her hands came to rest on his torso and she began fidgeting with the buttons of his shirt. "You plan on staying the night," she asked while pushing his jacket from his body before going back to work on the buttons. She placed her mouth on his neck and began to leave kisses while occasionally sucking his skin. His eyes rolled back in his head as his hands roamed the silk robe covering her and he easily untied the robe and pushed it off, letting it fall to the floor.

"Why would you want me to stay after what I said at the restaurant," he asked as she pulled her mouth off of him and finished with the buttons, pulling his shirt out from his pants and pushing it off him in one swift motion.

"Because. I think your bluffing," she replied confidently. He stared at her realizing that his cover was blown but he wasn't ready to give in without a fight.

"I was serious. I need time," he replied while pulling at the zipper on the back of her slip and turning her around so that the back of her body was pressed against his front. She moaned slightly feeling the extent of how turned on he was against the back of her thigh.

"You need this," she commented as she rubbed her backside against his growing erection. He let out a low growl before pulling the fabric from her body and twirling her around. He pulled her body flush against his and began to kiss her while walking them both backwards toward the bed. She felt the back of her knees hit the bed and allowed herself to fall back in accord. She pushed herself up the bed while he leisurely climbed on top of her and began to kiss her once again.

Her hands met his belt buckle and she undid did and pushed his pants and boxers down in one swoop. He worked on kissing her neck and slowly moving down her body while kicking his pants off at the same time. She pulled him back up to her and used all her weight to push him over and climb on top of him. She began the same ministrations on him and moved down his body at a torturously slow speed until she reached his throbbing erection.

She looked up to see his head thrown back against the pillows and his eyelids slightly open staring down at her and wondering if she was going to finish what she claimed to be starting. She blew on his sensitive skin lightly before taking him in her mouth completely. She heard him moaning above her which only motivated her on and she continued to take him in an out of her mouth slowly while licking and slightly scrapping the skin.

He was positive he wouldn't last long at this rate and when she pulled him out to catch a quick breath he pulled her back up to his mouth and began making out with her once more. She stopped and placed her hands on his chest and stared down at him. He looked up at her with hooded eyes caught up in the moment.

"No matter what you say, I love you. I'm in love with you and nothing is going to come between me and that fact ever again," she declared to him.

He looked up at her and placed his hand on her cheek before pushing the hair from her face behind her ear. "I love you too. You know I do. It's always been you," he replied.

She smiled at him and kissed him again before positioning herself above him and lowering herself down onto him.


	8. Chapter 8

So, I pushed out seven chapters in what I considered for myself a very short period of time and I decided to take the past couple of days and reread over everything again. After doing that, I found that I focused a lot more on thought processes and the characters real internal workings in the first five chapters than I did in the last two. I am going to try to get back to that after this chapter and try to have a little more consistency in writing style from this point further. I am also having a bit of a debate how I should handle the next couple of chapters in relation to the layout so I have posed a question at the bottom regarding that if anyone has an opinion. Please continue to review or follow so I know that it's still something people are interested in :-) thanks!

"Yes, god yes, harder," Blair screamed as Chuck thrust into her with abandon. They had been going at it for hours at this point taking only short breaks in between their excessive love making. Blair let out a gasp as she felt Chuck thrust into her one final time, hitting the spot that always sent her over the edge. She yelled out one more time as she felt his forehead come to rest against her chest and he let out a deep breath. Once his breathing had seemed to return to a more stable rate, he rolled off her to the side and pulled her with him, resting her head against his chest and giving her a short kiss.

"Oomph, you are amazing." Blair whispered cuddling closer to him. Chuck ran his hands down the sides of her arms, causing goosebumps to come back. "I can't take all the credit for the amazing performances of the past couple of hours," he replied cockily.

"Hum, what time is it?" she asked. Chuck picked himself up slightly and looked over at the clock on the nightstand, "Almost three," he answered.

"We can still get a few hours sleep before you have to go," Blair replied while trying to still snuggle closer, "Or we could stay up and you can worry about sleeping on the plane." Chuck felt Blair start to rub her legs against him and shift her hips over his.

Chuck laughed before shifting so that he was on his side facing her. "I need some time to recuperate," he informed her. Blair pouted and shifted closer to him "I just don't want tonight to end," she answered. Chuck hummed and pulled her closer against him taking in the smell of her hair and the feel of her skin underneath his hands.

It had been well over a year since they had shared a moment like this, just laying with one another and basking in postcoital bliss. Even during their brief "hate sex" relationship this was something they both relished in. Though at the time neither would admit it, the sex was a means to be able to enjoy fleeting moments such as these where they could pretend that everything that had come before didn't exist. They had truly come full circle though no one was calling this "hate sex" there was definitely the element of wishing to ignore all that came before it.

"We do have a lot of unfinished business to attend to," Chuck stated while smirking at Blair. "So, are you saying that you'll stay," Blair asked optimistically, grinning ear to ear.

"Blair..." Chuck sighed. While all he wanted to do was stay wrapped up in the sheets with her and ignore all his obligations and all the voices in his head that were telling him to slow down, he knew that he had to think rationally.

"I know," she mused back.

"I have to take this summer and get things in order before going home. If were ever going to make this work then we need to start fresh, without any outside influences or past demons," Chuck said staring up at the ceiling.

"While I don't like it, I know your right," Blair replied.

Chuck sat up slowly and looked at Blair waiting for her to do the same. She sighed before sitting up and facing him.

"So, we take the summer. Sort out everything and then when we get back to New York we work on us," Chuck suggested hopefully.

"I'm going to have a full schedule of work between you and Serena when I get back to New York. Three long months," Blair whispered picking at the comforter below her.

"It will be worth it in the end. We can still talk," Chuck offered.

Blair bite her lip and nodded slightly.

"So were not together," Blair asked for clarification. Chuck shook his head.

"But, you want to be right?" Blair mumbled with a slight strain of hope in her voice.

"Come on Blair, you know I do. We just need to ease back into this. If we go in full force were going to crash and burn and we both know it," he reasoned.

"Okay, but I mean are you going to be... Are you going to," Blair stuttered.

"Are you really asking me if I am going to be sleeping with other people while your still sitting in front of me wrapped up in a sheet?" Chuck asked offendedly.

"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed.

"Fine. Fine. We will set some ground rules," he amended. Blair smiled back at him. "We both stay single. The whole time. No dating, no one night stands and for events we need to clarify our dates with one another."

Blair raised her eyebrows and looked at him questionably.

"Didn't see that part coming huh? I know you Waldorf, if you think attempting to make me jealous is going to speed this process along then you are sadly mistaken," he retorted.

"I just think all of this sounds an a whole lot like a relationship to me," Blair replied nonchalantly.

"You didn't seem to be keen on working with the honor system so if you want guidelines those are what they are. Last I checked I was the one working to resolve my trust issues with you and not the other way around," Chuck spat.

"Bass, I told you, I'm all in. Take however long you want to trust me again and make whatever rules you want, I'm going to make you believe me," she offered with a twinkle in her eye not taking offense to his previous statement.

"And I told you, I need time to believe that," Chuck stated standing up from the bed and grabbing a glass and pouring himself a scotch.

"You know you get sick when you drink to much before flying," Blair offered while laying back into the bed.

"Stop patronizing me," Chuck growled back at her.

"Quit with the hot and cold. Your leaving in a few hours and I'm not going to see you for three months. I know your upset with me still but we have months where we can argue over the phone if that's how you see fit," Blair stated with a glaring eye.

Chuck's expression softened and he placed the glass down on the table before sauntering back over to the bed and taking a seat next to her. "Fighting on the phone will you is not something I wish to partake in because the making up definitely leaves something to be desired," he explained with a smirk.

"You really think we can spend three months without so much as a minor disagreement especially when we have so much unresolved tension, in more ways than one?" Blair asked once again raising her eyebrows and sitting up.

"I say we will need to put forth our best effort, unless of course their is a video chat in progress," Chuck whispered as he leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer as they engaged in a power struggle with one another's tongues. Chuck grabbed Blair's hands and put them above her head and held them in place before releasing his mouth from hers and beginning to lavish her jawline with kisses before moving toward her neck.

Blair struggled under his grasp and attempted to break free. "uh, uh, like you said, three months is a long time and I am going to need this distinct memory of you begging me to stop and keep going simultaneously if I am ever going to survive it," Chuck said throatily before he began sucking on her clavicle bone. Blair let out a long moan and Chuck felt her body begin to hum with anticipation.

"That's a good girl, now keep your hands out of the way unless you want them tied to the bed," Chuck told her while sinking his teeth deeper in causing Blair to scream out.

The next five hours passed by in a similar fashion with only mild changes in who was in the power position. While they were both trying to indulge in every moment, they couldn't help but feel that the clock that stood on the nightstand was actually an hour glass with time merely slipping past them. No matter how many times they made love or had sex, no matter how many times they kissed, they knew that inevitably it would all come to an end and the conclusion to how much these last forty eight hours or so had changed everything that happened previously wouldn't truly be known till months from now.

7:45 AM

Chuck was lying behind Blair with his body flush against hers and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist running his hands across her outer thighs and eliciting small hums of approval from her while she gently placed kisses onto his neck. Chuck's phone began to ring on the end table. Both groaned disapprovingly before Blair reached over and grabbed the device and handed it to Chuck.

"Hello," Chuck grunted into the phone. He sat up slowly, keeping one hand glued to Blair's waist and let out a deep sigh. "Yes...Yeah that's fine. I'll see you in thirty."

He fell back into the bed and into his previous position. Blair turned slowly to face him and kissed his lips gently causing a smile to form on his lips. "Was that Jack," she asked lightly. "Uh huh," he let out in a murmur.

"I take it you have to be leaving soon," Blair whispered against his ear before beginning to nibble lightly. "Hum... He took the liberty of packing my bags for me. I have to be downstairs in half an hour, well twenty eight minutes now," he explained.

She sighed and settled against his body as tightly as she could. "I hate to say this but even though time is on our side, in at least one respect, I don't think I could muster up enough strength to go again even if you wanted to. I'm famished and I think I may be running a fever," she spoke breathily with her exhaustion evident.

"Hum, no. This is perfect," he stated while pulling her even closer.

"I think this is one of the first times in my life where I can't wait till summer is over," she offered to him.

"We will be back in New York before you know it," he told her while running his fingers gently through her hair.

"So, can I call you whenever I want," Blair asked cheerfully.

"As frequently as you wish. Though we will have to take into account the different time zones," he replied.

"I'm nervous about everything with my mother's company," Blair randomly confessed.

"I'm nervous about everything with Bart coming back from the dead," Chuck countered with.

"You win," Blair replied with a slight laugh. Chuck looked over at her with a deep stare. "What?" she asked suddenly feeling self conscious.

"I've missed that laugh," he stated as he applied a kiss to her forehead.

"I guess we both have a lot to sort out before we get home, huh?" she asked him.

"I'd say we both have the proper motivation to get it all done in a timely manner though," Chuck stated as he leaned in and began kissing her again.

Chuck looked over at the clock a few minutes later and knew that he had to leave if he and Jack were going to make the plane to Madrid. He slowly picked himself up out of bed and began to pick up his clothes off the floor and throw them on. Blair sat up in the bed and got up searching for her robe. Once she found it she secured it around her waist and sat on the bed watching Chuck gather the rest of his belongings. Once he had everything together, she stood up and walked over to the door with him.

"I'll call you tonight after we land and get settled in," he told her while wrapping his arms around her and embracing her into a hug.

"I'm holding you to that Bass," she replied while leaning her head against his shoulder and taking in his scent that would be vacant from her life for the next few months.

"Don't worry about things with your mother. You know you are going to be amazing," he stated.

"I have the utmost confidence that Jack and yourself will be able to come up with something truly deplorable to conquer Bart with," Blair offered back with a glimmer in her eye.

Chuck smirked at her and leaned in and kissed her slowly. "I love you Waldorf," he spoke against her lips.

"I love you too," she replied capturing his mouth one last time.

They embraced tightly before parting. Chuck grabbed her hand and held it a moment as he opened the door and smiled at her slightly before letting go and letting the door closer behind him.

Okkkk, so initially I was just going to do a time jump and start the next chapter as them getting back to New York but I feel like I would have to do flashbacks to the summer and I'm not really feeling writing in that way. Either I am going to write a chapter or two with brief little moments out of the summer more like summarizing stuff rather than getting into details or I will focus a few more chapters on specific events. Anyone have a preference?

Thanks again for reading and please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Ok, so I have decided to do a chapter for each month of summer. There is going to be a mixture of little events and then some larger ones. I also am going to start slowly dragging the other characters into things. Hope you enjoy and please keep reviewing or following!

June 5th 2012

Blair sat at her desk staring at post it notes of every possible hue covering almost every single inch of her desk. Her eyes were scanning trying to recall what color was suppose to be the most crucial. She began to rub her temples lightly and sighed before throwing her head back against her head rest in a defeated manner. She had been training for the company take over for roughly three weeks and she still felt like she had no handle on the situation before her. The designing was no issue. She had stacks upon stacks of sketches and color schemes worked out that were not only precise in detail but unique and fresh. The business aspects were what was throwing her through a loop. She had added some hundreds of contacts to her phone in the past weeks and in turn had an array of messages that were in dire need of response but the question of where and how to start was still puzzling. She began to almost sympathize with her mother for having been neglectful of any outside existence or ability to hold her personal life together while building the brand.

"DOROTA," Blair screamed in a high pitch shrill. Dorota came running through the office doors with a bottle of vitamin water in her hand, breathing heavily. "Miss Blair, you call?" she blurted out immediately.

"Uh, Dorota hand that here. I am absolutely parched," Blair said while sitting back up in her chair.

"Miss Blair, you need take better care of yourself. You stay in office eighteen hours a day and barely eat or drink anything. You are going to work yourself sick," Dorota stated in an attempt to reason with her.

"I will eat when this is done," Blair spewed back turning her attention back to the notes.

"Your mother call," Dorota said cautiously while staring at the floor. "She say she be in tomorrow and check on progress."

Blair rolled her eyes and began to rub her shoulder in an attempt to relieve some of the tension she had forming. "Dorota, I need you to gather all of the yellow and green notes here and make the calls. I will take purple and blue."

"Before we do that, I have surprise for you," Dorota stated with excitement in her voice. She went back into the opposite room and returned holding a large floral arrangement of peonies. Blair smirked and got up from her chair and walked over to the table where Dorota was placing the flowers.

"From Mr. Chuck?" Dorota asked, smiling largely.

"I'm surprised you didn't open the note before you brought them in here," she replied while plucking the plain white envelope with her name scrolled on it from the holder.

She opened the envelope and pulled the card out, tracing her fingers over the deeply pushed in writing.

"All days are nights to see till I see thee,

And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me."

-Always, CB

Blair hummed slightly, bringing the card to her chest and smiling.

Dorota cleared her throat interrupting Blair's thoughts, "I get you salad from favorite cafe down street. You take break and eat and call Mr. Chuck," she stated with authority as she slightly pushed Blair back toward her desk and placed the food down in front of her.

"Thank you Dorota, now take those post it notes and "aller avec vitesse!" Blair exclaimed.

Dorota scrambled, gathering all the green and yellow notes and ran back through the door. Before sticking her head back in, "Tell Mr. Chuck I say Hi," she uttered before popping back out quickly.

Blair rolled her eyes and settled back into her chair and took a few bites of the salad before pulling out her cell phone and hitting number one on her speed dial.

"Hello beautiful," Chuck drawled into the phone.

"Hey, how are you," Blair replied.

"Better now and you," he asked.

"Wonderful. I just happened to receive a beautiful arrangement of peonies delivered to my office. I see you have been brushing up on your Shakespeare," she commented.

"Your welcome," he stated.

"Thank you really, they are beautiful," Blair mused.

"How is Paris, I'd say it's about lunch time there?" he assumed while half asking.

"Lunch it is. Dorota is force feeding me to get me to take a break. I am pretty sure that delivery arrived earlier and she was just holding off till feeding time to ensure I had to take a break," Blair joked.

"Ah. Well it's almost dinner time here. Beijing has been treated us quite well," Chuck offered.

"Figure out anything on Bart yet?" she asked.

"Nothing. I figure were not going to get the full show till I return home," he explained.

"Home," Blair mumbled dreamily.

"Hey. Were almost a third of the way through. How have things been going with the company?" he asked her.

"Slowly. Things are going ever so slowly. I should have everything ready in time for the late winter deadlines though so we will be able to have a show come this fall," she stated excitedly.

"I'm sure it will be perfection," he replied throatily.

"I miss you," Blair stated.

"I miss you too but just remember, keep your head in the game..."Chuck," Jack yelled in the background. "Hey, I've gotta go. We have this dinner tonight," Chuck explained.

"Dinner, hum? Well, I hope Jack is your only plus one since nothing has been cleared on my end," she replied cheekily.

"All business love. I'll text you tonight when I get back to the hotel," he suggested.

"Sounds perfect. Good luck," Blair replied before hanging up the phone.

Blair pulled the card back out the envelope and ran her fingers across it one more time before placing it in the corner of the picture frame that contained a picture of herself, Serena, Nate and Chuck. She resumed eating her lunch and allowed herself a mental break to think of her life back in the city rather than her current predicament there in Paris.

One Week Later

"This is amazing. I feel like I haven't been out of New York in years," Nate commented while taking in the view of a waitress across the bar he and Chuck were sitting at in Beijing.

"You haven't been near a red light district since we left Amsterdam and headed to California last summer," Chuck reminded him. "I know your not exactly taking in the culture."

"And what about you?" Nate asked. "I know you claim to be reformed but I also know you haven't taken a celibacy vow that I know of."

"Not exactly," Chuck mumbled picking up with drink and taking a swig and letting the taste wallow in his mouth before swallowing. "Blair came to Monte Carlo last month."

"Wait! What?" Nate exclaimed. "I have talked to you multiple times in the past month and you failed to mention this?"

"I'm trying to stay on course here Nathaniel. Not all of us run a newspaper company and can live a life of leisure," he chuckled.

"So, what? Your back together?" Nate asked naively.

"No, not together. We are holding off for a while. Sorting out our own personal things this summer. We agreed once we accomplished everything we had to and got back to New York we would see how things would go," he explained.

"Chuck man, I mean, are you sure you wanna go back down that road?" Nate asked tentatively. "You seemed like after everything that you were finally moving on."

"With Blair and I there is no actual moving on. You should know this by now," Chuck stated off handedly.

"But, your out of commission?" Nate asked confused.

"We set down some basic guidelines so that we were both comfortable with our arrangement," Chuck offered.

"Well then, I guess you will be playing the wingman this week," Nate stated with enthusiasm as he tapped Chuck on the shoulder.

"Works for me but I have to insist that you at least let me call you something back at the hotel. Picking up women here has a sort of stigma associated with it along, with a need for some precautionary ointments and medications upon your return home," Chuck stated while grimacing at the group of scantily clad women eyeing their table.

"Deal," Nate stated while taking a long chug from his beer. "Hey, I hate to ask you this but what happened with Blair and Dan? Last I spoke to him they were heading to Rome together."

"Something changed," was all that Chuck offered.

Nate sensed Chuck's agitation and signaled a waitress over. "Six shots. Best stuff you got in the place," he requested. Chuck let out a laugh.

"So what about things with Lola," Chuck asked.

"She's off on her tour doing god knows what with god knows who. How is it possible that I end up alone every single summer? I mean granted it's the best time for a break up to occur but I have never had a single relationship since Blair make it past, well make it past anything I can remember," Nate chuckled. The waitress returned placing the shots back on the table.

"You have had your share of interesting women in the past couple of years," Chuck mused before picking up a shot glass and holding it up for Nate to clink and then downing it.

"I just, how do you know that Blair's it for you," Nate posed.

"What do you mean," Chuck asked confused.

"Well the way I see it, I will know when I meet the one because I have dated all the one's that weren't. You've never really had a relationship outside of Blair. Unless you count Eva which personally I don't think that counts since you were someone else the majority of the relationship," Nate explained sounding somewhat frantic.

"Well, Nathaniel let me tell you, I think you are aware that I have had my fair share of women in my day. I have never really found the need to have strings attached with every woman I have ever enjoyed the company of. Quite simply, Blair is the only woman who had ever kept my interest longer than one evening. With Eva, I was merely playing a role. Other then them I can count on one hand the number of women I have slept with more than once and three of them were within a twenty-four hour time span so I think they should not be included," Chuck replied cockily.

"Whatever you say man. I'm just saying I know you and I know Blair. Once you two get back together it's either going to be for good or until one of you kills the other. Just make sure your ready for that," Nate suggested.

Chuck nodded before taking the second shot.

The two stayed out into the early hours before heading back to their suite and passing out playing video games. Chuck awoke around five AM to the excessive vibrating of his phone in his shirt pocket that he had failed to take off before falling asleep. He pulled the phone out to reveal two missed calls and a text from Blair.

*I don't wanna be that creepy clinger who is calling and texting you all night but I just wanted to make sure your evening didn't turn into babysitting Nate. Hope you guys have a great time. Miss you -B

Chuck sighed realizing the text was from hours ago. He began to type a response before deleting it all and replying simply.

*Call you in the morning. I love you -C

Chuck settled back into the couch going over what Nate had said to him earlier in the evening and realizing that once they indeed returned to New York it was the beginning of the end. Either they were going to be together or if it didn't work out it would surly mean destruction for one if not both of them. Honestly, both options scared him equally. Being together would leave him with a constant fear that things would spiral out of control or that he would be the one committing the final act that was to grave to over look. Being apart, he knew that there would be the constant desire to want what one could not have and to keep fighting till they destroyed one another.

His phone buzzed yet again and he unlocked in revealing a message back from Blair.

*I love you too -xoxo B

He smiled to himself and set the phone on the table before drifting back to sleep.

June 23rd 2012

Blair's phone was ringing on her desk and she threw her color swatch book on the chair before heading over and picking it up. She glanced down at the phone and had to do a double take. She closed her eyes and breathe in deeply before sliding the answer screen.

"Humphrey, to what do I owe this pleasure," Blair asked upon answering.

"Blair, long time no talk. Oh, nothing really just wanted to catch up, see if Chuck has disappointed you yet," Dan spoke with distain in his voice.

"Really Dan, I think I said everything I needed to say in my message. If you don't mind I'm quite busy managing my mother's company and dealing with..."

"Dealing with Chuck?" Dan interrupted her.

"I'll have you know that currently Chuck and I aren't even together in the physical or metaphorical sense. We are taking our time, sorting though things," Blair stated.

Dan let out a laugh. "Well good luck with that. I just wanted to ask you if you had heard from Serena. Honestly, you are the last call I wanted to make but it's imperative I speak to her before I have m next meeting with my publisher," he told her.

Blair sighed, "I haven't spoken with her since I left New York. I called her and she said we would talk once we got back."

"Well, if you speak with her, tell her it's in her best interest to call me back," Dan stated.

"I will inform her you wish to speak with her but from the sound of things I want to let you know that if I were you I'd be careful Humphrey. I don't know what angle your working but if you are issuing threats to Serena then you know very well she is going to have three people in her corner from the start," Blair informed him.

"I'll see you back in the city. Have a wonderful summer," Dan stated sarcastically before hanging up the phone.

Blair stared at her phone confused for a moment before texting Serena.

*I need to talk to you ASAP. It's important, otherwise I wouldn't text. Please call me. -B

Blair went back to her work and never received a text back.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, initially I planned to get this update out sooner. I had the whole chapter written and then I realized that I went a route that I thought was all to predictable so I erased pretty much everything and decided to shake it up a bit. In addition, July is going to end up consisting of two chapters because of the different direction I decided to go in. Thanks again for all the follows and reviews and please keep them coming!

July 2nd 2012

"Nephew, get out here and enjoy this glorious view," Jack shouted from the deck of the yacht they were currently on in Dalmatia - Zadar, Croatia.

Chuck slowly sauntered out to the top deck, ipad in hand, while checking out the numbers his investors had sent him from their recent deposits. Looking up he saw Jack sprawled across a lawn chair with a blonde on each knee. He laughed to himself before taking a seat across from him.

"The point of coming out here was to relax a little, take the edge off. Ever since your playmate headed back to New York, you seem to have lost your zest anything but numbers," Jack mused while sitting up and adjusting the women slightly.

"The point of coming out here was that we have business to attend to with Alexander and coming aboard was the only way to track him down for longer periods of time," Chuck remarked while leaning back and gazing off into the water.

"All work and no play make's Chucky a boring boy," Jack mused before tapping on the ladies legs and pushing them up. "Ladies, why don't you go wait for me on the south deck," he suggested. The women nodded before seductively walking around to the other side of the deck. "Tell Uncle Jack how I can help."

"You can help by taking this all a little more seriously. We will be back in less than two months and we haven't figured out anything except how to rig every possible card game. The money is great but we currently have no use for it other than to keep piling it into companies and off shore accounts," Chuck hissed.

"Chuck, I understand that you are frustrated and want to figure everything out so that once you get home you can play house and live happily ever after but the fact of the matter is, as long as Bart is back nothing is getting resolved in a timely manner. Even if we defeated him in fifteen ways before heading back, we will still have to face him a million more times. Relax. The team we have put together is top notch and they are sorting things out. They will find the perfect one and done solution. We will continue to work but you need a break. You need to clear your head and more then anything probably your pipes," Jack asserted while smirking.

"Jack I told you..." Chuck began.

"No, no. You have made it quite clear that your not going after anything I throw towards you, no matter how much premium malt is involved. I'm saying take a few days, fly to Paris. The wife is quite fond of days at the chateau for Bastille Day is she not?" he asked suggestively.

"We agreed to spend the summer apart," Chuck quickly retorted.

"No, you decided and she submitted on the basis that she is afraid to fight with you about anything," Jack commented.

"Blair, afraid?" Chuck asked laughing.

"Of course, why wouldn't she be with your sudden mood swings. In all this time you finally get the one thing you want and you deny yourself all of the perks of having it. You leave yourself moping around and playing phone tag. Honestly, it's quite dull. I wish you would just go back to your unstable teenage self sometimes just to liven things up around here," Jack stated raising his eyebrows.

"One of us has to be mature," Chuck offered.

"Chuck. Book the ticket, or I'll book one for myself and go pay her a visit just to get you there," Jack threatened in a joking manner.

Chuck stared at him, shooting daggers out of his eyes. "I'll go next week. Once everything has been taken care of and before Alex leaves for Greece."

"Compromise. Ah, see what a great team we make. Now, I'm off to attend to my own personal issues," Jack explained while heading for the women on the other side of the boat.

Chuck leaned back into his chair and began thinking about his agreeing to go visit Blair. Jack was right. Chuck was a completely sexually frustrated mess and not only that but the excessive phone calls were beginning to wear thin on his restraint of keeping their relationship at arms length. He wanted to visit her, he truly did but he was afraid that going would cause him to forgive and forget to quickly and that things would remain unresolved and bother them at a later time. He was also worried about the message he would be sending her if he went. Would she think that all was right with them because of his grand gesture? Not going and letting things remain as they were was the safest bet but he was positive if he gave Jack a chance to stir up a little trouble than he would take it in a heartbeat.

Chuck picked up his phone scrolling between two different contacts multiple times before finally hitting call. "This is Chuck Bass, I need to make a reservation."

July 13th 2012

Blair paced the floor of her office space glancing at the clock frequently. She was awaiting her mother's approval on all the final aspects of the late winter line before she was allowed to begin with the promotion and planning the September fashion show. Her mother had been in room with her attorney and junior creative designer for over an hour and for Blair panic was definitely beginning to set it. She plopped down on the couch and begin to scroll through her phone in an attempt to find a distraction that would make the minutes tick by faster.

Finally, the door opened and her mother stepped in. Blair stood up quickly, tossing her phone to the side before offering her mother a half smile.

"Well, we have looked over everything and I have to say, I'm impressed, truly. Just a couple of weeks ago you seemed completely overwhelmed and from what I have seen today the worrying has resulted in a great outcome. I am more than confident that once we release this line I will be able to send you on your way and Cyrus and I will finally get a much needed break," her mother stated with an uncharacteristically warm approach.

"Really mother, I am so relieved," Blair said with an almost squeak of excitement in her voice.

"Well, don't be to excited yet. You still need to pull off this show and bring in the cliental," her mother grumbled quickly slipping back into her usual demeanor.

Blair rolled her eyes and sat back down onto the couch.

"Now that everything has been settled we can finally enjoy the festivities this weekend," her mother said jovially. "Your father is expecting quite the turn out for tomorrow since he left Roman in charge this year."

"Ah yes, finally. Relaxing along the pool. Roman's famous mimosas. After all these months indoors, I'm sure I could use time in the sun as well," she stated dreamily.

"Yes, you could," Eleanor informed her. "But, that will have to wait. You have one more meeting before you are on your mini vacation. It's scheduled in half an hour."

"Mother! After all I have gone through today, whatever it is couldn't have waited till next Monday?" she asked with distain.

"Oh Blair, stop acting like such a child. You know in fashion there is no rest," he mother dramatically reasoned.

"Of course mother," Blair replied sarcastically.

"Good girl. Now, I'll see you at your father's for our dinner tonight?" she asked.

"I'll be there as soon as I have finished."

Eleanor left the office and Blair settled back pouting. She stared the clock willing it to move forward to no avail. She picked up her phone and dialed Chuck's number. She hadn't talked to him in two days because of his busy schedule in Croatia and while she wanted to give him space, she also wanted to tell him of her success and kill time before her next meeting.

The phone went to voicemail after only two rings and Blair sighed deeply before hearing the beep of his answering service. "Hey, it's me. So mother dearest actually liked my pitch. Crazy I know. Um, I just wanted to talk with you but if your busy it's fine, I understand. Call me when you get a chance okay? Alright, bye. Oh and Chuck, I miss you." She hung up the phone and went back to looking through her sketch book before hearing a knocking on her door.

Blair strolled over to the door and opened it only to have her jaw fall open slightly when her afternoon meeting came barging in past her.

"Blair, it's been to long," Georgina said with a smirk on her face and she began walking the length of the office and taking in her surroundings. "Look at this, mommy gave you your very own big girl office and everything."

"Sparks, what are you doing here? I have a meeting in a few minutes and..." Blair began only to be cut off. "No, no, I'm your meeting. We have business to attend to."

"Business?" Blair asked intrigued.

"Well, Dan called you a while back and told you that it was crucial we spoke with Serena and from our end I don't see that you have done anything to make that possible," Georgina explained while taking a seat in the chair behind the desk and beginning to pick up different items and examine them.

"Hey! Keep your grubby little hands to yourself," Blair stated walking over to the desk and shooing Georgina's hands. "What do you mean from your end? You've been with Dan?"

"Ah, yes. Well once you decided to go running back to Bass, Dan needed someone to accompany him on his trip. Someone who was smart, intellectual, had a deep rooted history in scheming and social upheaval," Georgina rambled while leaning back in the chair.

"What on earth are you babbling about?" Blair snorted with frustration.

"Dan's new book. The real "Inside." The one he should have published the first time around," Georgina said looking Blair in the eyes and snickering.

"Uh, okay so you and Humphrey are off journaling together. What is the point of all this? I have places to be and more important things to take care of," she snapped.

"We need Serena. We asked you to supply Serena. You failed. Now, it's double time. Find her or we go all world war on you and publish every single dirty little secret you have," Georgina deadpanned.

"What could you possibly have on me? I think the last year of my life was pretty much out there for the world to see," Blair said with an air of indifference.

"If that's a chance you are willing to take then I'm fine working with that angle. Remember though you have other people to think of," Georgina reminded her flicking the card from the flowers Chuck had previously sent her that was sitting on the frame previously into her direction.

"Georgina, Chuck knows everything he needs too," Blair said slightly hesitating while picking up the card off the floor and rubbing her thumb over the thick writing.

"Everything? Every dirty detail from your time with Dan? Do you think he will really appreciate seeing that splashed all through Dan's new best seller? Or, how about all the wonderful secrets Dan amassed during his friendship with Nate? It's easy. All we want is to speak with Serena and come to some agreement with her. After that, most of your stories are useless knowledge that at best may end up as a gossip girl blast someday," Georgina explained slightly raising her voice.

"I called. I text. I got nothing. Obviously she doesn't want to be found," Blair retorted.

"How about Chuck?" Georgina asked.

"What about him? He doesn't know where she is. I have asked him multiple times," Blair replied.

"Well, maybe I'll drop by Argentina briefly and pay him a visit. Maybe he has somethings he has been keeping from you," she countered.

"You may want to check your sources," Blair mused.

"Oh, you mean about him not being in Croatia but instead Argentina?" Georgina asked with the smirk on her face enlarging by the second.

Blair looked at her questioningly. "Oh Blair, so naive. Always the last to know. You keep working on Serena and I'll focus on Chuck. Obviously, you are the last person that can be expected to get the truth out of him," she stated as she rose to leave.

"I'm sure it's just business with Jack," Blair offered off handedly.

"Is that why Jack was spotted still on the yacht this morning," Georgina retorted. Blair bit her lip before composing herself. "Enough, get out. You and Humphrey do whatever you want but just remember in the end you always lose. You may wound us and get a temporary retreat but we always come back, better and stronger than before. If he publishes so much as a single fabrication he will be in court until he is living in the Ozark's with no chance of a return," Blair spat while pushing Georgina out the door.

"It's been a pleasure Blair," Georgina shouted as the door closed. Blair pushed her body against the door and threw her head back slightly trying to sort through the events that had just occurred. It was clear to her that Georgina was aiding Dan on a suicide mission but whatever they needed Serena for was still puzzling to her. Above all, the question floating through her mind was what the hell was Chuck doing in Argentina, minus Jack.

Same Day in Argentina

Chuck's plane had finally landed after a grueling flight and he flipped his phone off of airplane mode and began scanning through his messages. He listened to Blair's voicemail and smiled to himself knowing that she had had the pitch in the bag after her practicing it over the phone to him some days before. A message from Jack informing him of the relations in Croatia and telling him to enjoy himself in Paris, if only he knew. And, a last voicemail from Lily asking if Chuck had heard from Serena. Chuck sighed, sliding his phone back into his pocket and gathering his bag from under the seat.

He stepped off of the plane onto the tarmac and into the terminal and began scanning the crowd.

"Chuck!" he heard to his left and he began walking till he reached the body it was being emitted from.

"Sis, how are you?" Chuck asked embracing Serena in a hug.

"Uh, really. It still creep me out when you call me that," Serena replied while hugging him back. "How was your flight?"

"Horrible. It almost makes me want to put aside my issues with Bart just so I can have my jet privileges back," Chuck sneered.

Serena let out a loud laugh, "Speaking of parents..." she replied while taking on a serious expression.

"No one knows I am here and I plan on keeping it that way," he explained as they began walking toward the exit.

"Thank you really. Honestly, I never in a million years though that you would be the one I would call in a situation like this," she stated while offering Chuck a small smile.

"I'll consider that a compliment, I think," he retorted as they reached the car and climbed inside.

Chuck's phone began ringing and he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. He let out a small sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose while trying to sort out his course of action.

"Blair?" Serena asked whilst assuming.

"Just let me handle this," he stated before answering the line. "Blair, hey. Sorry I haven't called you back. Jack and I just got out of a meeting," he said into the phone.

"Oh, a meeting?" Blair asked innocently.

"Of course, what did you think?" he replied reluctantly.

"Oh, no nothing. I just, never mind. I just wanted to thank you for all your help with the pitch. It went great," she replied sullenly though she was trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Of course it did. I told you, everything you put together is amazing. Your amazing," he spoke genuinely.

"Yeah. Thanks. Um, well I'll let you go. I have to be getting off to dinner at Daddy's. You know how big the holiday is out here. Fireworks and food and french traditions. I really have a ton to get to before tonight. Bye," Blair rambled quickly before hanging up.

Chuck stared at the phone before brushing off Blair's odd behavior as relating to everything she had coming up with her family in the next couple of days.

"Everything okay?" Serena asked.

"Yeah everything's fine. Now let's get this all sorted out or at least try to. Why don't you start at the beginning," Chuck offered as he leaned back in the car.

"Well it all started..."


	11. Chapter 11

July 13th 2012

Argentina

"Well, it all started when Blair kicked me out of the apartment," Serena began while pausing to raise the partition separating them and the driver. "She kicked me out the night of the Shepard divorce party and I was furious with her after everything. I came up with a scheme knowing that Blair was suppose to meet Dan at the party and my hope was that she might catch us in a compromising position. When I realized she wasn't showing, I still wanted revenge so I made sure that Dan knew that Blair was probably going back to you and proceeded to booze him up, make a waitress spill a drink on me, lead him into the back bar, strip out of my dress and then defile the same bar top I took Nate's virginity on," Serena articulated while staring at the floor of the car.

Chuck stared at her for a few moments before breaking out into a laugh. Serena glared at him harshly. "What is so funny about this?"

"I mean that plan was amateur at best and he bought it," he chuckled back at her.

"Well I'm glad to find this so amusing. You are really giving me confidence in my decision to call you," Serena stated sarcastically.

"Listen, Serena. You were right. Blair came to me. Dan told her that if their relationship meant anything she would meet him there and she didn't. In my mind it was over already. Now, that is my logic and I'm hoping Blair would share in the same view but she may have slight issues that it was all for revenge. You know she hates to be second to anyone in scheming," Chuck explained empathetically.

"Oh it gets better," Serena revealed while picking at her skirt nervously.

"Now, I'm intrigued. Please go on," Chuck murmured as he leaned across the back of the car and into the mini fridge grabbing an airplane sized bottle of scotch and cracking it open.

"I taped it," she whispered as he was taking a swig and he spit the liquid out.

"Wait, run that by me again? You? After all that trouble that almost snuff film Georgina created gave you, you decided to tape it?" Chuck asked astounded.

"And Dan caught me taping it. He flipped out on me and told me that I made him cheat on Blair and pretty much said it meant nothing to him and stormed off," Serena replied tearily.

"So, Humphrey hates you? Consider yourself lucky that your free of that vermin," Chuck spat.

"Chuck you don't get it. I justified what I did by saying it was to get back at Blair but really it was just to get Dan back. I thought that if we slept together he would remember what we had and see that everything with Blair was all wrong and that he was just living in a fantasy land, a type of story he created from his book," she tried to clarify. "But, all I did was push him farther away. When I went to see him the next morning he completely turned me down and told me there was no us and never would be."

Chuck sat back taking in what she was saying and trying to be sympathetic even though his hate for Dan would inevitably be shining through in anything that he said. "So, what happened next?" he asked hoping to avoid the rest of the Dan context as long as possible.

"Then I did what I do best. I went off the rails. Meet up with some old friends, took up some old habits, lost my phone with the tape on it," she mumbled.

"You have got to be kidding me. You didn't think to delete it after what happened?" he asked stunned yet again by her confessions.

"I was to far gone. I spoke to Blair and my mother briefly and made them believe I was fine without giving away to many details and I've been MIA ever since."

"But, you look composed right now," Chuck offered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A couple close calls but I got off it as quickly as I went back on," Serena replied.

"Well, at least that's taken care of. So, what exactly did you need me to help you sort out. It seems for someone who made a string of rash decisions lately you have held together quite well," he said.

They felt the car come to stop and the driver opened the door in front of a small hotel that Chuck would have guessed didn't cost more than $100 dollars a night.

"Really sis?" he asked with disgust.

"Keeps things on the low," she mused pulling him forward. They entered the hotel and took the elevator up to her room where Serena plopped onto one of the twin beds.

"This is. This is," Chuck stuttered at a loss for words.

"Come on, you have spent nights with skanks in more despicable places than this," Serena combated him.

"I've done my best not to slip back to old habits," he goaded her.

She rolled her eyes at him before letting out a groan and settling back against the headboard.

"So, are you going to explain to me why I am stuck in this place? I can't even compel myself to engage in jokes about incest with my fear that I may catch something merely from removing my shoes," he grimaced.

"Blair told you that Dan was trying to get in touch with me right?" she asked him.

"Yeah, she has been on a mission to find you for weeks to no avail. I have been having to dodge her and Lily and you must know how persistent those two are when they are snooping for something," he commented as he pulled a robe from his bag and laid in across the bed before sitting down.

"Turns out that somehow they got a hold of the tape."

Chuck looked at her puzzled, "And how is this a bad thing? It's not like Mr. moral compass would be willing to ruin his pristine image by releasing his own sex tape. Plus, I'm guessing it would be quite embarrassing for him as well."

"Chuck, he doesn't care about image anymore. He wants to destroy us all, no matter what the cost. They told me if I didn't sign a sort of statement of some kind saying that I vouch for what he has written about all of us then he is going to release the tape. He wants it to pretty much be a biography that he can write to his own tune," she explained.

"Serena, I'm not trying to sound like an asshole here but what harm would the tape really do?" He asked coyly.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me," she groaned while banging her head back against the headboard.

"It is going to just as much damage to him if he puts that out and you know it."

"No it isn't. Chuck, the last thing I need is for my mom to see that. Blair to see that. On top of that, I met someone and I wasn't exactly honest about my whole past," she stated shyly.

"So really this is what all this is about?" Chuck asked with a hint of disgust. "You met some new guy and you once again want to hide your past so you willing to throw us all to the literary lion to do it?"

"Listen, I have held them off this long. I just need to figure out a plan."

"Your plan is tell them do whatever they want with the tape. Don't negotiate with terrorists," Chuck replied.

"So I walk around for months wondering when they are going to release this? In front of who and how?" she asked dramatically.

"Okay, just stop. We need to look for a new angle. Something on Dan or Georgina that we can use as leverage," Chuck stated deciding that taking a scheming approach was probably the only way Serena could get out of this without giving in.

"Well, I'm pretty sure the person that would have the most on Dan would be Blair," Serena said looking at Chuck shrinkingly while waiting for a reaction.

"You said you didn't want her in on this and personally I am not sure how comfortable I am with scheming with her at this point," Chuck stated definitively. "If you wanted her help, you should have called her and left me out of it."

"Geeze, Chuck what is your problem?"

"My problem is I already had to lie to her about where I am and now you want me to bring her into this. I'm not exactly over the whole Dan thing yet so excuse me if I don't want to conspire to scheme with her on something that involves him," he snapped at her.

"You know what? This is silly. We can come up with something together it's fine. Why don't we go downstairs, get a drink and brainstorm. Really Chuck, I'm thankful you came and if you want to keep Blair out of this then I can respect that," Serena caved feeling bad for having made Chuck so agitated when he had come to her aid.

Chuck took a deep breath and looked at her, "If you think that you have it in you then I will be more than willing to aid you in a scheme but were playing by my rules," he told her.

Serena stood up and grabbed her purse. She walked towards the door and opened it and stood holding it open waiting for Chuck. Finally he stood up and walked towards her, "We're going to a bar in the city. I can't imagine sleeping here let alone drinking anything they serve."

Paris

Same Day

Blair sat at the table pushing her food around and staring down.

"Blair darling, is something wrong with your meal," her father asked with a look of worry on his face.

"No daddy, it's delicious. I just have a lot on my mind," she stated absentmindedly.

"Blair you haven't taken a single bite," her mother chimed in.

"I'm sorry I just, I need to make a phone call," she stated abruptly while standing up from the table and walking away at a quickened pace.

"Blair, this is a family dinner," her mother shouted to her fruitlessly as she continued to walk.

She walked into her bedroom at the chateau and lightly closed the door. She sat down on the bed and pulled out her cell phone and scrolled down to Jack's number and hit the call button. It rang a few times before he finally answered.

"Blair, pleasure to hear from you," Jack drooled into the phone.

"Save it Jack. Why is Chuck in Argentina?" Blair asked with venom.

"Excuse me," he replied.

"Chuck. Argentina. You. Croatia. Explain," she demanded.

"Well isn't that something. Little nephew seems to have pulled a fast one," Jack mused.

"Explain!" Blair yelled into the phone.

"Hey, I don't know why you are screaming at me. I'm just as confused as you. I was under the assumption that he came to see you for the holidays. Blow off a little steam. Get his head back in the game," he offered.

"He told you he was coming to Paris?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Well, you haven't lost your powers of deductive reasoning."

"So, he lied to both of us," she replied feeling somewhat better she wasn't the only one.

"It appears."

Blair's phone let out a ding indicating she received a text.

"Hang on," she told Jack as she opened it.

The message was from Georgina and it was a black and white picture of Chuck at a bar standing next to a girl in a short mini skirt with long hair and his hand placed on the back of the bar stool she was sitting on. "Happy holidays B!" was the message underneath.

"I'm going to kill him," Blair groaned into the phone.

"Um, hello?" Jack said.

"Hang on. I'm sending it your way," Blair explained as she sent Jack the picture. After a few seconds Jack got the message and opened it.

"Listen, I'm not sure what's going on here but there has to be some kind of explanation," Jack offered trying to sound neutral.

"What's going on here is he is a cheating, lying, bastard," Blair screamed into the phone.

"Now, now. Let's not get over zealous. To be a cheating bastard one must be in a relationship, correct?" he asked her sarcastically.

Blair sighed deeply. "Your right. Whatever he wants to do or contract is his own concern," she stated with distain.

"Let me get to the bottom of this and I will check back in with you. Just don't do anything stupid," Jack requested.

"Whatever," Blair replied hanging up the phone.

Argentina

Next Day

"So, it's all taken care of," Serena asked skeptically while taking a bite of her breakfast.

"All set. You present them with the paperwork with your signature, they turn over the tape and sign a confidentiality agreement and then when they go to publish the lawyers will intercept it," Chuck explained with pride.

"You really think it will be that easy," Serena asked skeptically.

"You leave that to the people in charge. You meet them when you get back in New York and someone will accompany you through the whole thing."

"Chuck, I don't know how you did this but really thank you," she replied enthusiastically.

"No problem. I'm just happy we solved this quickly enough that I can make a quick stop in Paris and return to Croatia before Jack or Blair know that anything is up," he replied while sipping his coffee.

"You know she really does love you," Serena offered.

"I know that. And I love her but I don't trust her and I don't know when I will be able to," he stated with a sullen expression.

"Don't let your fears get in the way. Blair did that and if you do the same thing then your both going to miss out on finally having what you both deserve. You love each other and in the end that should make it all simple," Serena said while smiling at him.

"I appreciate your advice and I have faith we will get there but it's going to be slow and controlled. I'm not jumping in with both feet till I know for sure that she isn't going to change her mind on the spur of the moment," Chuck explained.

"I understand where your coming from but don't make yourself miserable because your not certain. You were miserable without her and being miserable by not being with her when you can is not any better," Serena reasoned.

Chuck nodded as he finished off his coffee and glanced at his watch.

"I have to get to the airport if I have any hope of making it while it's still the holiday," he stated.

Serena got up as Chuck did and embraced him in a hug. "Really, thank you for everything," she stated.

"Were family," he responded with a smirk before grabbing his bag off of the chair. "Be careful and please try and stay out of trouble. I'll see you back in the city."

Ok, so I'm not going to lie, I have not been that motivated lately and I'm going against my own plans and schedule lately. So obviously July is going to get one more chapter since we are going to see Chuck go to Paris and how the whole lying situation shakes out. I will definitely be pushing out the next chapter tomorrow night since I have that framework pretty much figured out. I'm also really disappointed by the lack of reviews. Again, this is my first time doing this and I'm pretty certain a good amount of you are reading a ton of fics on here so I was hoping for a bit more feedback then I have been getting. Thank you to those who have reviewed and followed and I hope that you are enjoying this and that I'm doing the rewrite justice :)


	12. Chapter 12

I really want to thank everyone for all the reviews and follows from the last chapter. I know I was whining a bit about the lack of them but I am kind of happy I did because seeing all of your responses was a great motivation for this chapter. I really wanted to make this a longer one because we were finally getting some real Chuck and Blair interaction after a lack of it for a few chapters. I know some of the reviews have had questions pertaining to the story in them and I will be sure to respond to the one's that aren't guest reviews through the message thing or whatever it is. If there is anything from the guest reviews that should be addressed I will try to write it in the memo part I have been putting here too. Again, this is my first time writing so I am trying to get use to all the stuff on the website as well. Thank you again and please continue with all the feedback and follows, it really is great reassurance! :)

July 14th 2012

Paris

The party at Blair's fathers chateau was in full swing. Blair was sitting on the balcony lightly sipping on a martini and watching everyone conversing and laughing in tight circles surrounding her. Her holiday had been less then spectacular until the current point. Jack had yet to get in touch with Chuck, Blair had spent a good majority of her day playing phone tag with Lily to follow up on Serena leads and Nate had been dodging her concerning both matters. She saw her mother approaching and let out a large groan before directing her attention over the balcony and toward the water.

"Blair, sweetheart, what are you doing sitting over here all by yourself? Come be social," Eleanor requested grabbing Blair slightly by the arm. Blair tugged her arm back and picked up her drink and took a small swig.

"Mother, I'm not in the mood to be social. This has pretty much been one of the worst holidays ever and I don't feel like faking polite social conversation just to appease you," she responded in the tone of a disgruntle teenager.

"You are being ridiculous," her mother spat back at her as her father approached the table.

"Ladies, getting along well as usual I see," he stated with a smirk.

"Your daughter is completely unreasonable."

"My mother is over involved."

"You, young lady, need to watch how your speaking to me."

"Argh!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough," her father said with a slight laugh. "Blair I came out here to tell you that there is a surprise in your room. Seems to have just arrived," her father explained with a sly smile.

Blair looked at him quizzically before finishing off her drink and standing up. "Thank you daddy, though any subpar excuse to get me off of this balcony would have been welcomed," Blair responded with a fake smile at her mother. Eleanor rolled her eyes and began arguing with Harold as Blair skipped off away from the noisy party.

She headed up stairs to her room and saw the door slightly ajar. She pushed it open and peeked inside to see someone facing away from her. It was a man, well dressed, holding the frame of her and Chuck from the singular summer where they were actually together and had visited the chateau. No, it couldn't be she thought to herself as he placed the frame back down and turned around. Blair's face instantly took on a look of shock.

"Waldorf, I was expecting a slightly different reaction," Chuck mused with a smirk while walking toward her and wrapping her into a hug. Blair instantly tensed up, not moving her arms up to embrace him but instead keeping them glued to her sides. Chuck let go slightly and angled his head back to look at her face which still had the same look of confusion gracing it. "Am I missing something here?" he asked her while loosening his grip and backing away slightly.

"What, what are you doing here?" she stuttered out while taking a step back and rubbing her arms that were now covered in goosebumps.

"I thought I would surprise you. Take a couple days off, get reacquainted," he stated while taking a seat on her bed and staring her down. She bit her lip slightly and stared back at him before directing her gaze down towards her feet. "Blair, what's going on," Chuck asked with concern.

"I should be asking you the same question," she said angrily. Chuck stared at her bewildered before getting up off the bed and walking back over to her. He placed a hand on her arm and she retracted immediately letting out a sigh before she walked and sat down where he was just previously seated.

"Care to enlighten me on what the hell is going on with you," Chuck spewed while slowly becoming unhinged from Blair's behavior.

"What have you been up to the past forty-eight hours?" she asked him while staring him dead in the eyes.

He looked at her carefully before blinking and looking away. "Exactly. Get out," she said raising her voice slightly and folding her arms across her chest.

"There's an explanation," Chuck began as he moved towards her. She went to get up and dodge him again but he intercepted her by placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her back to sit on the bed with little force necessary. He sat next to her and pushed on her chin slightly so that she would face him.

"I was helping a friend," he said to her while moving a hand to rest of her leg. She stared down at it before looking back at him.

"Helping a friend?" she asked with a sarcastic laugh. She pulled her phone from the pocket of her dress and scrolled through her pictures till landing on the one from Georgina had sent her and threw the phone toward his chest. "Looks like it."

Chuck picked up the phone and looked at the screen letting his jaw fall slightly open before closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Really Chuck? If you didn't want to follow the guidelines we put into place then you should have just been honest with me. I'm not saying I would have given up but I wouldn't have been sitting around waiting to hear from you like some love sick idiot," she mumbled with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Blair, I haven't so much as kissed anyone else since what happened between us in Monte Carlo. We may not be in a relationship per say but I have never been unfaithful to you when we were on terms regardless," Chuck stated.

Blair looked at him trying to find a hint of dishonesty but found nothing. She moved her hand down to hold his that was lying in her lap. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that," she confessed.

"I get where your coming from," he relented. "I lied to you and for that I am sorry but really it's a sensitive matter and the people involved need to have the utmost privacy right now."

"Chuck, this is me you are talking to," Blair said gripping his hand. "Whose the skank in the picture?"

"Blair, it's just a friend," he replied easily while moving a stray hair from her face to behind her ear and kissing her cheek. She swatted him away and looked at him. "Who is it?" she asked again with more persistence.

He grimaced and let out another sigh. "Blair, really I can't," he mumbled.

She threw his hands back to him and stood up from the bed and walked towards the door. She opened the door and leaned against it before looking back at him. "You should be going," she demanded.

"You know, they say don't ask the question if you don't want the answer," Chuck commented.

"They also say a leopard never changes it spots," she retorted.

"Touche. Are we applying that to both of us?" he retaliated.

Blair began to get flustered and stomped her foot lightly while pushing the door further open. "Good. So neither of us trust each other. Why don't you get back on the plane and go back to your skank in Argentina?" she countered.

"Really? Why would I fly to Argentina when there are so many willing in Croatia," he yelled at her. Her eyes widened as she slammed the door shut and walked up to him. He stood up from the bed and looked her dead in the eyes.

"I hate you," she stated with a pout while pushing her finger into his chest.

"I love you," he responded as he leaned in and captured her lips roughly. She pushed him back slightly and tried to keep the anger radiating from her face though it was quickly dissipating. He grabbed her arms and pulled her back toward him and held her tightly. He applied a kiss to her forehead before moving his mouth near her ear and whispering, "I spent the first twenty-four hours helping a friend and the last thirteen hours on a plane trying to get here for your favorite Parisian holiday. I don't want to fight with you. I promise it was a dire situation and it needs to remain confidential for the time being."

Slowly he felt her begin to relax against him and her hands came up to wrap around him lightly. "But, you'll tell me eventually," she asked coyly with a smile.

"Yes, but you need to trust me. It was merely an after work drink with an old friend, nothing more," he explained while moving his lips down and kissing her neck. She let out a slight moan before commenting, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he answered with a wink and another kiss to the lips. "We should get downstairs and enjoy the party for a little before we need to leave."

"Where are we going?" she asked with grin before kissing his jawline and moving towards his neck. His hands began to make circles over her hips before he moved them to her backside and squeezed lightly.

"You didn't think we would be spending the evening here did you?" he inquired while raising his eyebrows. "I don't think your parents would appreciate the words or moans that are going to be coming out of your mouth later this evening."

She smiled at him before pecking him on the lips again. "What are we going to tell them though when we go down there?" she asked slightly concerned. "I mean obviously they are going to want to know what is going on between us and telling them we are occasional sex buddies with a possible future who aren't together now but aren't open to being with anyone else doesn't exactly roll off the tongue."

"I'll handle it," Chuck replied cooly as he grabbed her hand and lead her toward to door and down the stairs back toward the party.

They walked back into the party hand in hand and over to the bar where they both acquired a drink. Blair began to lead Chuck around and they both engaged in conversation with the fellow party attenders until her father and Roman approached.

"Blair, I see you found your surprise," Roman said with a grin while coming forward and giving Chuck a large hug. Chuck awkwardly tapped his shoulder before he released him. "Roman, wonderful to see you again," he commented.

"I was thrilled when Harold told me you had arrived," Roman stated while looking quickly back and forth from Blair to Chuck. Chuck brought his hand down and interlocked in with Blair's again before offering a smile.

Harold observed the action and cleared his throat a bit before beginning, "So you two are back together?" he asked uneasily.

"Daddy, really I don't think we need to..." Blair began but Chuck cut her off "We've spent the last couple of months working on our issues separately and we think we are ready to try to work on the rest together," Chuck explained easily while squeezing Blair's hand. Blair looked at Chuck with slight awe before breaking out into a large grin. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him.

Harold looked at the two hesitantly before smiling. "Well, you know I have always thought that you two were great for one another," he spoke with approval.

"Oh! This is so exciting! We must celebrate!" Roman exclaimed.

"Actually, we were planning on leaving after the fireworks. You know we haven't seen each other in months and it is the holiday so we want to get out go take in the environment," Blair tried to justify.

"I think we can squeeze in sometime for brunch tomorrow," Chuck offered, "if that of course works for you."

Roman grinned and spoke dreamily, "Yes of course, ah to be young and in love in the summer in Paris."

Blair rolled her eyes and leaned further into Chuck.

"Brunch sounds wonderful," Harold accepted before a party planner approached and began asking him questions. "If you will all excuse me, the show should be starting shortly."

Harold and Roman walked away with the planner, leaving Blair and Chuck standing on the balcony. Blair pulled back from him and grabbed both his hands and looked at him.

"Did you mean it?" she asked skeptically.

Chuck simpered at her before bringing up both hands and kissing her knuckles. "Well, I guess I probably should have cleared an official relationship status with you before announcing it."

"I'm not picky. I would have accepted a Facebook status of it's complicated at this point," she replied with a laugh. He snickered back at her.

"I still have to finish up everything with Jack for the summer but I don't see any point of prolonging the inevitable," he declared while pulling her forward and kissing her lightly. She rested her head against his chest while wrapping her arms back around his waist.

"So, I'm your girlfriend," she mused while picking at the fabric of his shirt.

"Girlfriend seems so average," he replied while running his hands through her hair.

"After these past two months I would kill for us to just be average."

"Never," he expressed while turning her around and pushing her against the railing of the balcony. "What are you," she asked as she felt his arms come up around her and hold her in place. "Show is about to start," he reminded her with a whisper in the ear as the first blast of fireworks started and light up the sky over the lake near the chateau.

The two stayed on the balcony kissing on another till long after the firework show had ended and guests began to leave. "We should get out of here," Chuck drooled while leaning back in and kissing her neck again.

"I just need to go upstairs and grab a few things," Blair spoke breathily while leaning her neck further and granting him better access. Chuck nibbled on her sensitive skin before pulling away. "Make it quick?" he asked while pinching her back side.

"Come inside and say goodbye while I get everything," she replied while pulling him by the hand back through the French doors and into the foyer. "I'll be right down," she stated with a smile before kissing Chuck on the lips again and walking up the stairs at a quickened pace. Chuck mimicked her grin and sat down in the foyer waiting for her return.

Eleanor walked into the foyer and observed Chuck sitting there and approached him. "Charles, Harold told me that you graced us with your presence," she beamed while waiting for him to stand up and enveloping him in a hug.

"Eleanor, it's wonderful to see you again," he replied.

"No trust me, it is wonderful to see you. With my daughter's attitude problem lately I'm guessing a visit from you is exactly what she needed," she explained.

Chuck let out a laugh before commenting, "She has been quite stressed with everything going on with the line from what she has told me."

"Of course, it is a huge responsibility," she said indignantly. "So, it is my understanding that Blair and yourself are back together?"

Chuck nodded his head.

"Well, Charles honestly, this is wonderful. After everything that happened in the past year or so I was worried that you two had missed your chance," Eleanor reasoned remorsefully.

"It has taken a lot of work but we both are fully committed to it," he offered back.

"Mother? Are you harassing him?" Blair asked as she strolled down the stairs with a small bag in hand.

"Just getting all caught up," Eleanor said with a wink before patting Chuck's shoulder. "Have a lovely evening. I'll see you two for brunch tomorrow. It's at eleven so don't be late." She walked past Blair on the stairs and out of sight.

"You ready?" Chuck asked while grabbing the bag from her arm. Blair nodded and grabbed his hand as they walked out of the house and to the waiting town car out front.

Shortly later they arrived at the hotel and the driver opened the door for the two who were attempting to detangle themselves from their grasp on one another before emerging. They walked through the lobby giddily and unable to keep their hands off one another before walking to the elevators and resuming their kissing.

The elevator dinged and Blair backed Chuck in until his body hit the back wall and he opened his eyes looking over his shoulder to see an older couple staring in their direction. "Sorry this one is taken," he mumbled as the woman stared with her mouth agape and the man smirked back at the two. The elevator door closed and Blair began ripping at the tie the adorned Chuck's neck till she had finally loosened it. She pulled his shirt down, ripping the top of it as she began to kiss his neck slowly moving up.

He took a moment to reveal in the sensation before picking her up and flipping their position as she wrapped her legs around his waist for leverage. He then began a similar assault on her neck that lasted until the elevator dinged again at their floor. He pulled her away from the wall, walking haphazardly towards their room and resting her against the door as he pulled out the key card and pushed it in. The door clicked open and they fumbled into the room shredding articles of clothing until they had reached the bed.

Blair pushed an only boxer clad Chuck onto the bed before climbing on top of him wearing only her slip and underwear. She crawled up him slowly and seductively kissing him all over before reaching his mouth and capturing his lips. She brought her hand down and reached into his boxers, gripping him lightly before he grabbed both her hands and flipped her underneath him in one swift motion.

"uh uh, were skipping the foreplay for now," he mumbled into her ear as he grabbed her slip and raised her body slightly to pull it over her head. She used her feet to push his boxers off before she felt him reach down and grab her underwear and pull them off swiftly. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him aggressively till both were gasping for air. He pulled away and looked down at her to see her eyes closed and her grinning from ear to ear.

"Blair," he hummed as he kissed her collarbone.

"Hum?" she asked dreamily as she pushed herself up slightly creating friction against him.

"Open your eyes," he mumbled to her and he watched her eyes flicker open slowly.

He positioned himself and entered her in one rapid motion causing her eyes to go wide and her mouth to fall into an oval shape. "I love you," he moaned into her ear as he slowly went in and out of her.

"I love you too," she replied as she gasped.

They spent the next three days locked away in the hotel, missing brunch and being isolated from the rest of the world.


	13. Chapter 13

August 10th

Paris

Blair was finishing packing up the last of her trunks in her room at the Chateau in preparation for her return back to New York. She closed the final one and sat down on it taking in the view out the windows of her room for one of the last times before the end of summer. Her phone began ringing on the bed and she reached back grabbing it and observed a restricted call coming up on her screen.

"Hello," she spoke into the phone only to be returned with silence. "Hello?"

"Blair," a voice spoke back to her softly.

"Serena?" Blair asked back hesitantly.

"Yeah, it's me," Serena replied.

"Serena Celia Van Der Woodsen! Do you know how worried I have been about you? Where have you been? Are you okay? Oh my god, please tell me you aren't knocked up or living in Washington in some weird hippy camp?" Blair rambled.

Serena let out a short laugh, "I'm fine really. I lost my phone earlier this summer after we spoke and I have just been spending the summer um reinventing myself again."

"Serena, I haven't heard from you in three months. You need to come up with a better excuse than that. Do you know what Lily and I have gone through trying to find you or the amount of money I have probably had Chuck pour into PI's trying to hunt you down?" Blair replied with a hint of aggravation.

Serena became silent again and let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry really and I have no good excuse. I just went a little awol," Serena stated remorsefully.

"A little awol? Lily has been going insane. You didn't even tell her you were leaving the city. This disappearing act is getting pretty old," Blair huffed.

"Blair, I'm fine. I'm sure my mother going insane means making sporadic phone calls in between switching yachts and the occasional Skype session here and there to keep her mother of the year trophy. If you have seen the papers she already divorced Rufus and remarried Bart. I'm sure I haven't been her sole priority this summer," Serena explained with indifference.

"Fine, I'm not happy about it but I'll accept it until we get back to the city and I can fully harass you for every last detail. I can tell you a day on you at Bendels will definitely be part of the agreement," Blair relented.

"Speaking of the city! When are you getting back?" Serena inquired.

"Leaving in a couple of hours actually," Blair informed her.

"Well, I will be back late Monday night so what do you say we plan on that shopping trip Tuesday? I think we still have a lot to talk about possibly over lunch at Sarabeth's?"

"Ah, yes that sounds perfect but we have something that needs to be discussed before either of us hang up these phones," Blair said cryptically.

"Okay your scaring me a bit B."

"Have you spoken to Dan?" Blair nervously asked. The line again went silent with only the light sound of breathing. "I know he isn't exactly a topic you want to discuss over the phone but it seems him and Georgina have formed some type of cult and you are their sacrificial lamb per say."

"Listen Blair, whatever they are up to I wouldn't put to much thought into it. They probably got bored over the summer and were just looking to cause some trouble," Serena uttered flippantly.

"Serena, whatever their excuse they are after something. Georgina came all the way to Paris to hand deliver a threat. She was talking something about needing to come to an agreement with you or she was going to start splashing whatever she could dig up on all of us into Dan's next American Boy story."

"There is no use worrying about it now. We will both be home soon and if they are after something then they will know where to find us and we can deal accordingly," Serena replied cooly.

Blair groaned. "Serena, I have a bad feeling about this."

"I will see you on Tuesday morning! Try not to worry about all this nonsense. I'm sure you and Chuck will have a lot of catching up to do over the weekend so it should be an easy distraction," Serena giggled.

Blair began to laugh before stopping herself and pausing. "How did you know Chuck was going to be home this weekend?" Blair asked dubiously.

"Well, I just figured, I mean," she stammered back.

"Have you talked to Chuck?" Blair asked raising her voice slightly.

"No."

"What are you talking about distractions then? If you haven't talked to him why would you assume he would be providing me any sort of distraction."

"Well, you just, you went after Chuck before I left for the summer and you said you talked to him about looking for me so I just figured you guys had been working on things," Serena replied trying to remain calm.

Blair considered her words carefully but figured beginning a fight with Serena on their already shaky ground would not bode well for their friendship. Plus, Chuck had been adamant that he had not spoken with Serena. There would be no reason why they would both lie to her, not about something as serious as this.

"Well, I'll admit we are working on things. We spent most of the summer in some weird semi-relationship but he came to visit for Bastille Day and we kind of made things official again," Blair explained joyfully.

"Ahhhh! Blair, thats amazing. I'm so happy for you two!" Serena gushed.

"Well, you did seem to have known what was best for me before I knew myself," Blair confessed.

"Let's leave this on a happy note and worry about all the other stuff when we get home. Really, I'm happy for you and that's all that matters now."

"You don't know how much I have missed talking to you like this," Blair divulged.

"Me too. Have a safe flight back and enjoy your weekend. I want a full report minus all the usual you and Chuck details," Serena giggled.

"I'll do my best to censor. Call me when you land," Blair replied.

"Will do. Love you!" Serena slightly screeched into the phone before hanging up.

Blair set her phone down and smiled to herself. She finally felt like things were starting to fall into place. Though both her relationships with Chuck and Serena were on shaky ground, she felt as though they were both moving in the right directions. She knew going back to the city was going to throw everything into a curve ball but for the first time in a long time she didn't feel afraid that she couldn't deal with it or that she would have to run from her problems. She was finally feeling strong enough to confront everything and not hide or attempt to be someone else as a means to deal. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and walked downstairs to spend the rest of the afternoon with her family before her flight home.

In Argentina

Serena let out a deep sigh and threw her phone across the bed while plopping down. She had almost slipped and revealed to Blair that she had spoken with Chuck. She had regretted not asking for Blair's help prior to Chuck seeming to have solved the issue and felt bad that they were both lying to her. She still had issues with Blair that needed to be addressed but she felt guilty. She knew that Chuck would have been livid if she had slipped up and told Blair but she was beginning to wonder how they would explain the whole situation once they got home and things started to get underway with Dan and Georgina. She reached back over and picked up her phone scrolling to Chuck's number and dialing.

"Sis, how has Argentina been treating you?" Chuck answered.

"Decent but from what I hear not nearly as well as you and Blair have been treating one another," she countered.

"Ah, so you finally reemerged to the rest of society."

"Only Blair. I have yet to call mom," Serena stated dramatically.

"Speaking of mom. If you wouldn't mind when you speak to her will you do me a favor and emit from any sentences involving the words Chuck and Blair in them?" Chuck asked.

"I'll be happy to oblige with an explanation."

"With everything still up in the air with Bart I don't really think I should drop that bomb immediately upon my return," Chuck explained.

"So what you guys are going to be sneaking around?" she asked.

"Not necessarily, I just don't want to create to much publicity or drag Blair into anything that has to do with Bart."

"Is Blair aware of any of this?"

"I thought that it was best to explain things to her in person once we got home. I'm expecting an adverse reaction when I deliver the news so I think if I at least offer her the opportunity to go off on me in person, I have a better chance of rectifying the situation," Chuck mused.

"Or your giving her the perfect opportunity to castrate you," she replied sarcastically.

"Trust me, Blair would find a more suitable punishment that would still leave her favorite appendage of mine intact," Chuck murmured.

"Ah! My ears are bleeding. Yuck, really though I was calling you for a purpose. I will be home late Monday night and I am suppose to meet with the lawyers when I land but I was wondering how exactly we are going to explain handling this whole thing when Blair is already aware of it," Serena asked.

"Well, I figured you would explain that you put the hamster on the wheel and took care of it all on your lonesome," he replied.

"You think Blair is going to buy that I hired lawyers to falsify documents and that I contacted a publishing agency and told them that once the manuscripts were in to send them over or that Bass lawyers were going to sue them into oblivion?" Serena countered.

"I know it seems far fetched that you would be able to concoct that plan but I was going with the less is more route," he retorted.

"She is going to know something is up!" Serena relented.

"Fine. Tell her you handled the false documents and then I came in as backup and brought in the big bad lawyers. Don't act like you have never fibbed."

"Chuck, if she finds out you came to see me," Serena began.

"She won't," He replied. "Listen, I don't want to lie to her. It isn't exactly the best way to start our relationship again but you asked me to keep my mouth shut and I did. Now I'm telling you that I expect the same courtesy."

"Fine. I'll call you when I meet with the lawyers," she replied quickly.

"Good. Just go with the plan and it all should be resolved before anything the pseudo intellectual writes sees the light of day," Chuck retorted before clicking off the line.

Chuck groaned deeply and moved off of the balcony back into the hotel room he was sharing with Jack.

"Looks like that conversation went well," Jack mused leaning back in his desk chair.

"Needless to say, Serena's scheming skills remain as inadequate as ever," Chuck replied.

Jack laughed, "What did you expect? You know she is going to crack eventually, it would probably be in your best interest to come clean before that happens," Jack mumbled while scrolling through his Ipad.

Chuck grabbed his key card off the table and walked to the door, "I need a drink. I'll be back up in an hour. Make sure your ready to go."

Chuck walked out of the room and down to the hotel bar. He took a seat and ordered a neat scotch. Upon receiving his drink he took a small swig and placed the drink down playing with the napkin that was underneath.

He had been waiting all summer to go back to the city and finally have the opportunity to be with Blair but he had jumped the gun and reignited their relationship before they had even gotten there. He knew that he made the choice based on what he wanted but he couldn't help but feel that he had rushed the decision. Part of his choice was definitely a product of guilt out of lying to her and the need to make her trust that he wasn't sneaking around behind her back. He hated the fact that he felt the need to prove anything to her after what she had put him through but he couldn't help that her opinion was still what mattered the most to him.

If she found out that he had lied about knowing where Serena was then he was sure she would be angry with him but after everything she would forgive his minor indiscretion right? She couldn't legitimately hold a grudge against him when he was merely following Serena's wishes. Plus, the matter had involved Dan and he had a right to want to avoid bringing her into a scheme that involved him right?

He was beginning to think that Jack was right and that coming clean was his best bet. But, should he deliver that news before of after his wish that they keep things on the low till the Bart situation was handled? This was why he had wanted to wait before making it official but he had acted on impulse and though he was sincerely happy that he could say that she was his, he was worried about everything that came along with that.

He slammed the rest of his drink down as his phone beeped from a message. He unlocked the phone and viewed the message from Blair.

*I land at 9. Meet you at your suite. Can't wait to see you. xoxo-B

He pushed the glass away and got up to go back to his room. He had a long enough flight where he figured he could think up a game plan or at least a proper means to grovel.


	14. Chapter 14

August 10th

New York City

Chuck and Jack's plane had just touched down and they had gathered their carry ons and were exiting the plane. Their flight had been delayed an hour and it was already 11 PM in the city. They walked out of the terminal and into the staggering heat that was indicative of an August in New York even this late at night and began scanning the rows of cars lined up in the arrivals lane. Chuck spotted the license plate they were searching for and began to move toward the vehicle, signaling Jack to follow. The door to the town car opened and Nate stepped out.

"Chuck, Jack, how was your flight?" Nate asked while patting Chuck on the shoulder.

"If I don't ever fly commercial again it would be far to soon," Jack mumbled slipping into the car and lowering his sunglasses upon his face again.

"All I want is my bed and Empire room service and I can be set for months," Chuck groaned while throwing his bag into the trunk and then sliding into the car.

"You two just got back from a summer traveling everywhere and anywhere and all you can do is bitch and moan," Nate commented. "I was on a high for a week after visiting you in China."

"Literally," Chuck whispered leaning back into the leather seats.

"Jack where are we dropping you at?" Nate asked.

"I have a room at The Mark. I'll be staying there till further notice," he grumbled while turning on his side and trying to resume drowning out the conversation.

"Driver, stop at The Mark," Nate instructed before turning his attention back to Chuck. "You want to know something weird. I was sitting on the couch about an hour and a half ago playing x-box and all the sudden I hear the elevator ding. I turn around and standing there key card in hand is none other then Blair holding a bag, dropping stuff off in the kitchen and passing me with a mere "Hi Nate" before running off into your room."

Chuck raised his eyebrows before turning his head to stare off out the window without saying a word.

"Explain," Nate stated seriously.

"Nathaniel we have never really been big on the talk about your issues thing unless its a dire situation. Blair and I are working on things, together and that's the end of it," Chuck replied listlessly.

"So you guys are back together?" Nate asked confused.

"What is the obsession with the title? It is what it is okay?" Chuck spewed.

"Someone is a little on edge," Nate retorted.

"I was just on a seven hour flight turned eight. I haven't eaten all day and drank on an empty stomach. I am tired and now I have to go home and have engage in psychological warfare with one of the few people I know on this earth that is more able to read between the lines then I am," he offered back.

"I didn't know that you left her card activated," he stated boldly while cocking his head to the side in amusement.

"Leave it alone," Chuck mumbled.

Nate looked at Chuck and shook his head before scrolling through his phone. "I think I'm going to spend the night elsewhere tonight. I remember what it was like when you and Blair were dating before and I would rather not endure an evening of listening to...well listening to that."

"Nate you don't have to leave your own place," Chuck said.

"Oh no, just think of it as a favor," he laughed back.

They dropped Jack off at his hotel with the agreement that they would meet for lunch tomorrow and discuss the intel that they were to receive in morning from their New York crew they had assembled and headed to the Empire. The car pulled up and Chuck let out a deep sigh before moving to open the door.

"Man, really is everything okay?" Nate asked sheepishly.

"Peachy."

"I thought this was what you wanted. You and Jack seem to be heading in the right direction in regards to Bart. You had an awesome summer and made a whole bunch of cash and you get to come home to Blair. What are you so down about?" he asked.

"It's nothing," Chuck mumbled.

"Whatever you say. I'll come back tomorrow once your gone to lunch with Jack," Nate replied.

Chuck nodded and opened the door and stepped out. He stared up at the hotel and couldn't help but think that it looked so different since he had left for the summer. He walked inside into the lobby and nodded to the door man and women at the reception desk. He heard various staff members around him mumbling their hello's but kept walking without saying a word. He reached the elevators and took the lift up, sliding his penthouse key. He leaned against the elevator wall and watched the numbers lighting up in ascending order. He should have stopped down at the bar or his office even, given himself sometime to think up a game plan. That had been his intention upon the flight but the mission seemed to elude him. The ding brought him back to reality and he stepped into his suite.

The lights were dimmed and he saw a full spread of food across the kitchen counter with champagne and glasses untouched. He set his bags down on the floor and looked into the living room and spotted Blair fast asleep on the couch with her hair dangling over the edge of the arm rest. He walked over and observed her peaceful sleeping form. He smiled at the image of her and leaned down near her and gently kissed her cheek causing her to stir.

"Hey," he whispered into her ear and her eyes begin to flitter open.

"Chuck, your home," she mumbled sitting up. "I must have dozed off. What time is it?"

"Late," he replied while taking a seat next to her on the couch. She sat up slightly and applied a kiss to his lips.

"Uh, I can't believe I fell asleep. I got us dinner from The Lion," she began to explain and stand up as Chuck pulled her back down onto the couch.

"It's my fault, my flight ran late and traffic was horrible," he countered wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Please, I had this all planned. It was suppose to be perfect," she stated sitting up fully and kissing his cheek. "Let me warm all this up and we can have a nice dinner together." She stood from the couch and grabbed his hands pulling him up and leading him into the kitchen.

"Who am I to refuse watching Blair Waldorf slave over a stove?" Chuck drolly stated walking with her and taking a seat on a stool at the counter.

"I ordered all your favorites. I'll warm up the lobster pies, why don't you start in on the blue fin tuna?" she asked grabbing the plate and putting it in front of him before turning the oven on. "You want something to drink?"

Chuck stared at her with a puzzled look. "Has Dorota been giving you lessons in being domestic?"

"No, I just wanted to do something nice for you is that so hard to believe," she asked with a smirk.

Chuck shook his head and offered her a smile before picking up his fork and beginning to eat.

"Champagne?" she asked.

"I'll get it," he proposed standing up. "Sit, eat your salad." He walked over and popped the cork and poured two glasses and handed her one. The oven beeped and he placed the pies in before taking his seat back next to her. They clinked glasses and each took a sip.

"Were finally home," she spoke breathily moving closer to him and placing her hand on his leg. He moved his hand down and interlocked his fingers with hers and smiled. "Oh my god, I didn't even get a chance to tell you. Serena called me finally," Blair said with a grin.

"About that..." Chuck began.

"Oh, don't worry everything is fine. She went off on some random quest to find herself and blah blah blah. Typical Serena fashion, she loses her phone. Probably ran around wearing sandals and jean shorts all summer, eh. Whatever she will be home Monday night and I can get everything out of her then."

"Blair, I need to talk to you about something," Chuck noted seriously.

Blair placed her fork down and turned her stool facing toward him completely. "Why do I have a feeling I am not going to like the sound of this?"

"It's about Argentina," he muttered. Her eyes narrowed on him and she pulled her hand from his grasp and placed both of hers folded in her lap. "Well?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

Chuck scooted to the edge of the stool a bit and clasped his hands on the counter, he let out a large sigh before turning to face her again. "The friend. It, well, it was Serena," he mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"I went to see Serena. I had spoken with her and she was going through a bit of a rough patch. She needed some help with some unforeseen circumstances and I lent an ear and some assistance," he tried to remain collected while explaining.

"You knew where she was this entire time," Blair accused exhaustedly. "You knew I was going insane looking for her. Lily still doesn't even know where she is. Why would you hide this from me," her voice was raising with each sentence that was passing.

"Blair, she asked me to keep it to myself," he offered.

"God forbid you disappoint her," she exclaimed standing up and walking over to the oven.

"Blair," Chuck said turning his stool to face her. She pulled the pies out of the oven and threw them onto the stove top.

"You lied to me. Continuously and effortlessly," she stated not turning toward him.

"I'm sorry and it was not without effort. It was killing me," he said.

"Your sorry? That's all you have to say? What in the hell was so important that she called you about?" Blair spat.

"Not my secret to tell," he mumbled looking at her sullenly.

"So you decide to tell me this why? If your not going to tell the whole truth why bother?"

"I'm not lying. I'm omitting details that are not mine to share."

"You went and saw my missing best friend less then twenty four hours before you showed up at my father's house," she retorted turning around at him with anger radiating off her face.

"I'm coming clean now okay? I made a mistake, you of all people should understand," he retorted. She looked at him and shook her head in disbelief.

"Is that what this is going to be now? Tit for tat? You just expect me to accept this on the basis of everything that has come before? If you want to sit down and make a list I'm pretty sure we would come up close to even on whose screwed who more," she yelled walking past him and grabbing her purse from the couch.

"Blair, stop," Chuck demanded as he stood up from his seat and placed himself in front of her to stop her from proceeding toward the elevator.

"Move," she stated, staring him in the eyes.

"Make me," he countered. She clenched her fists together and began tossing them against his chest but Chuck could feel that she wasn't applying the full amount of pressure she really would have if she wanted him to clear the way. He grabbed her wrists and brought her hands down slowly, placing them at her sides before staring her in the eyes and raising his eyebrows.

She threw her hands up in the air and tossed her purse onto the floor before walking back and taking her seat again. She grabbed her fork and began to eat her salad again, not looking anywhere in Chuck's vicinity.

Chuck took a deep breath and walked back and sat next to her and began eating his meal again. They ate in silence, both staring forward. Upon finishing her salad Blair got up and retrieved the pies and tossed Chuck's on the counter in front of him before placing hers down and taking a bite. She grabbed her champagne and took a long swig before reaching for the bottle and filling her glass again to the rim.

Chuck began watching her actions and finally set his fork down and turned toward her.

"The comment was out of line. I apologize for it," he finally relented.

She sighed deeply before turning to him. "Thank you."

"It wasn't right for me to say that well in those terms. Obviously there is still some wounds that haven't quite healed," he mumbled.

"That's understandable. I shouldn't have reacted that way," she offered nonchalantly.

He stared at her and laughed to himself slightly. "Did we honestly just have a fight and resolve it without presents or sexual favors?"

"See we are maturing," she giggled. "But, I wouldn't call that fight resolved exactly. I'll have to speak to Serena and collaborate your stories before I give you minimal accountability."

Chuck rolled his eyes at her, "I'll accept it. Really I'm sorry for lying."

"You were the one that called it omission right?" she asked sullenly.

"Just talk to Serena okay?" he asked passively.

"We are suppose to be celebrating," she stated ignoring his previous statement and moving to kiss his lips and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He moaned lightly against her lips standing up and pulling her with him. "I think we should take dessert in my room," he suggested wrapping his arms around her waist and leading her backwards.

"Hum, lucky for you I already set that up prior to your arrival," she stated seductively pulling him at a quicken pace and closing the door once they had reached the room.

He broke from the kiss slightly to take in the atmosphere of the room. There were candles lit everywhere and a tray with deserts near the end of the bed. He smiled at her before pulling her back into the kiss.

"I had planned to be dressed in something a little more appropriate than this," she whispered while continuing to push him back toward the bed till his legs hit.

"I appreciate your effort but it would be off soon anyways," he groaned turning her quickly and pushing her onto the bed. She gasped deeply and stared up at him as he unbuttoned his shirt and descended on her in few shift motions.

"It's been a month," Blair mumbled pulling him down and flush against her while wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You are wearing far to many clothes," he whispered as he pulled her blouse over her head and began to lavish her neck with kisses before moving and paying the same attention to her chest. His hand reached behind and he unclasped her bra and pulled it off. Reaching up he kneaded her breasts before grabbing one in his hand and beginning to suck gently, eliciting moans from her. She ran her hands through his hair pulling slightly and rocking her hips to meet his.

He paid the same attention to her other breast before moving down and rubbing her hands across her stomach as he applied small gentle kisses. His mouth came down to the top of her skirt and he reached for zipper and began to unzip it slowly while still kissing her stomach. He pulled it slowly down her body applying kisses all down her legs as he went until it was off completely and hooked his fingers underneath her lacy black underwear and yanked it off. Chuck alternated between kissing and nipping at her thighs before reaching her center and blowing lightly.

Her breathing intensified and he looked up to see her head thrown back waiting in anticipation for the moment where his mouth met her. He slowly moved in using his tongue in between her folds before applying a single finger into her. She let out a breath she had been holding and moaned as he made work of his task.

Minutes later he felt her walls begin to clench around his hand and he pulled out quickly causing her to whimper. He quickly undid his belt and pushed his pants down before centering himself on top of her. She looked up at his through hooded eyes and pulled him back down into a kiss before shifting her body so that she threw him down and climbed on top of him. She slowly lowered herself onto him and leaned down kissing him as she adjusted to the invasion on her body.

After a few moments she begin to move her hips and felt him coming up to meet her thrusts. Her hands clawed at his chest as his hands came up to grasp her hips tightly and hold her firmly in place against him. She felt his hands digging into her backside causing her to moan more and push her body into a full on straight up position and throwing her head back as she rode him with abandon. They continued on this way for sometime before Blair began rising and falling upon him rapidly as she felt the coiling in her stomach that signified that she was close to pushing over the edge. She heard his breathing increasing rapidly and his legs beginning to become stiff as she rode him out into both their orgasms and fell down upon his chest gasping.

"That was amazing," Chuck murmured while pushing her hair to one side and kissing her forehead. He pulled her tight against him while still inside of her and she sighed contently against his chest while peppering him with kisses. "Always is," she responded cheekily.

"As much as I would love to repeat that performance, I have a breakfast with some potential buyers tomorrow," Blair stated sleepily as she cuddled against Chuck and began to doze off.

"Hum, I have to meet Jack for lunch but why don't you come back here after breakfast," he asked. "We still have some things we need to talk about."

"Talk later. Sleep now," Blair mumbled moving her head onto his shoulder and cuddling into him. He wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her forehead as they both drifted off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chuck awoke to his phone vibrating on the night stand and small strands of sun radiating through the slit in between the two curtains closing his windows. He groaned loudly before looking over to find an empty space next to him and upon sliding his hand across the sheet felt coldness. He reached over and picked up his phone seeing Blair's name across the caller idea.

He slid the answer key and mumbled, "Morning."

"That's good morning, almost afternoon to you. I figured you would be dead to the world unless someone kept calling you. It's almost eleven," Blair explained.

"Shit. I need to meet Jack in an hour," he grumbled sleepily.

"Hum, well I have been up for close to four hours so I think you should be able to manage. I just ran into Lily actually and she invited us to dinner tonight," she said cheerily.

"You spoke to Lily?" he asked startled.

"Yeah, like I said I ran into her. Don't worry, it seems Serena called her last night and told her she would be home Monday night so we won't have to explain that fun series of events."

"Yeah, well that's good," Chuck replied hesitantly.

"Well, dinner is at seven so just call me when you get back from lunch with Jack. Maybe I can swing by for a little while and we can do all that talking you keep mentioning or I can find a way to distract you," Blair seductively stated.

"Blair, I have to ask you, Did you tell Lily about, well did you tell her about us?" Chuck asked sheepishly.

"Not exactly. I just told her that we had been talking during the summer, you know as friends and she mentioned wanting to see you and I told her we had plans tonight so," Blair trailed off.

"Yeah, okay I just, I think we need to sort out some details before we go there tonight okay?" Chuck asked.

"Obviously, we will talk when I get there this afternoon okay? I gotta go, I have one more meeting. See you soon!" Blair exclaimed before hanging up the phone.

Chuck threw his phone to the side and fell back against the bed staring at the ceiling. Blair running into Lily before he had a chance to try to explain to Blair the necessity in keeping things mum at least for the time being had not been something he had planned for. Now, he had to try to appease her with the arrangement and turn up at dinner looking calm and collected as friends. Plus, he had to meet Jack and their so called team in less than an hour. He threw the comforter to the side and got up stretching out before going heading to the bathroom to shower. This was going to be a very long day.

Blair walked out of her final meeting of the day feeling triumphant. She had managed to secure a deal with Bendels before she even had the winter fashion show and her mother had already called her from Paris to sing her praises. Serena was set to return in two days time and things with Chuck were going perfectly even after their minor hiccup last night. She scrolled down Madison Avenue and into Chanel feeling the need to treat herself after such a successful morning. She walked down the side wall letting the fabric glide through her fingers before settling upon a plum ruffle dress and grabbing it off the clothes bar.

She turned around and bumped into someone. She looked up from the dress in her hands to see none other then Georgina standing in front of her.

"God, I thought this place was suppose to only serve a certain clientele," Blair huffed before turning on her heel and walking toward the dressing room.

"Uh, uh," Georgina responded grabbing Blair's arm and turning her around to face her. "I need to offer my thanks."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, Serena told me that you finally convinced her to get in touch with me and Dan. Thanks to you we are sitting on a gold mine," Georgina proclaimed grinning widely.

"I've had enough of the word games. What exactly did I convince Serena to do for you?" Blair asked.

"Just give us exactly what we needed to make sure Dan's book gets published without so much as a huff from any of you."

"Well, congratulations, I'm sure it will enjoy its brief stint in the limelight before fading into the background just like his first," Blair arrogantly replied.

Georgina let out a laugh, "I have a feeling after this one the only thing that is going to fade is all of you. Once the world gets a good glimpse of what you are all really made of I am sure there is no reputable individual who will be doing business with any of you."

"Why exactly would Serena agree to help you?" Blair inquired.

"Oh no, no, no. That is something that is sacred information. Unfortunately for you there is to much riding on that secret for me to let it slip. Though, I would kill to see your face when that one finally gets out," she boastfully stated.

"Georgina, honestly I'm over it. I have enough going on without playing your little mind games. Whatever you have to work out with Serena you do it. If she wants my help she will come to me and if she doesn't I will force the information out of her eventually. Now, I have much more important matters to attend to," Blair held up the dress in her hands and walked on her way.

"I'll be seeing you and the boyfriend soon!" Georgina exclaimed before walking the opposite direction and out of the store.

Blair strolled into the dressing room and hung up the dress before placing down her purse and pulling her cell phone out. She dialed Serena's number and took a seat in the room. The phone rang a few times before going to voicemail.

"Serena, it's B. Call me as soon as you can. Georgina just informed me that you made a deal with the devil. I want answers or I'm dragging in Chuck. Oh, and Nate! I will bring Nate into it to. Okay, call me back. Soon!" Blair hung up her phone and sighed until looking back to the dress hanging and smiling to herself. Regardless of whatever drama was going to occur when Serena came home she still had the next three days of bliss with Chuck and she was set on not wasting that time.

"Just more dead ends!" Jack exclaimed pounding his hands onto the table. Chuck and Jack had been in their meeting for over an hour going over detail after detail and coming up with no solid information of Bart and his illegal deeds. They seemed to have a bunch of leads but no solid proof to back anything up.

"I'm sorry Charles, Jack, whatever Bart is up to he seems to have hidden his tracks quite well. Unless, we are able to find someone to validate any of this information and offer us some solid proof then it seems we will have to leave things alone for the time being," one of their PI's explained.

"Really, I understand that you are both a little taken aback from all the recent events concerning Bart and his reappearance," another began.

"Reappearance is when someone takes a long trip or gets stranded on a desert island. He faked his own death," shouted Jack.

"As I was saying, I know this has been a touchy time but really what are you both after? He has left you both in the same state you were in during his time away just without the titles. If anything he is saving you both a ton of time and energy," the man finished.

"This isn't about Bass Industries. This is about the fact that he ran off for another reason than what occurred with Andrew Tyler. There is no way that Bart would have faked his own death over a problem that Blair and I resolved scheming in less than twenty four hours," Chuck stated calmly.

"So what? You find out what your father did and send him to prison for it? Smear your family name some more," the third man asked.

Chuck looked at Jack cocking his head to the side and falling back against the chair. It was true. This had started out as a plan to get revenge and take back what Bart had effectively given and taken away but after the conference with the attorneys both Chuck and Jack had pretty much been left whole. Now they were going on a witch hunt for what? To prove that Bart was as evil as they knew he was? To show that he was committing some harm against society? Everything was starting to get blurred quickly.

"Our family name is ours to worry about. For the meantime, you keep doing what your doing. Something is bound to surface eventually," Jack demanded getting up from his seat and opening the door. "Call us when you have something solid."

The men nodded and shook both Chuck and Jack's hands before exiting the room. Jack took his seat back across from Chuck and stared him down. He pulled himself up to the table slowly and ran a hand through his hair.

"Don't tell me your going soft?" Jack asked seriously.

Chuck made a hand motion of indifference and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"No, sorry nephew it doesn't work that way. We had an agreement. I joined you this summer and while it wasn't exactly the worst time of my life, I could have found more enjoyable ways to amuse myself than playing cards till early in the morning and listening to you cry over your girlfriend issues. We said we were taking down Bart and that is the plan we are sticking to."

"I don't know what to say Jack. Maybe we are just wasting time and energy," Chuck murmured.

"What is wrong with you? Letting this go means wasting all the time and energy that we put in this summer," Jack spewed.

"Listen, Blair and I are having dinner with Bart and Lily tonight. Maybe I can feel things out tonight, see where his head is at."

"Let him manipulate you some more?"

"Enough. Take a few days off. Enjoy the city. Let me do some internal investigating this weekend and we will hit the pavement again on Monday," Chuck stated getting up from his seat.

Jack let out a laugh. "I knew this was what was going to happen. The second you get home you have more important things to worry about then what you dragged me all around the world this summer to solve. Forget the girl. Keep your eyes on the prize."

"Blair, isn't holding me back from anything," Chuck retorted.

"That's where your wrong Chuck. The second she is back in your field of vision you lose your focus. You spent this summer keeping her at a distance for a reason. So that you could get things done. Now were home, the walls are down and you would rather spend the night canoodling with your honey than putting your father in the place he has so deservedly earned," Jack spewed.

"Monday. Until then, were done talking about this," Chuck stated definitely and got up and walked out of the room.

He exited the building and was greeted by Arthur as he climbed into his limo. Everything that everyone was saying was right and it was bothering him to the point of insanity. The PI's were right about Bart but so was Jack. Jack was right about the way he was acting and his relationship with Blair. Above all what was bothering him was he couldn't figure out what was the right next step in either regard. If he let things go with Bart then most of the work on his relationship with Jack would inevitably fall apart. If he kept things searching for what Bart was hiding he would end up alienating Lily and having to keep Blair at a distance. If he gave in and went full force with Blair then Bart would see him as weak. His head was spinning and on top of everything he had piles of work waiting for him at the Empire.

When he finally got away from his thoughts, Arthur was already opening the limo door in front of the Empire. Chuck got out and headed to his main floor office. He took a seat at his desk and began to thumb through the files of his desk, glancing briefly at the contents of a few. He paused and picked up his cell phone and scrolled to Blair's number to compose a text.

*Down in the office. I have a lot of catching up to do. I'll be in my suite by 5. -C

His phone buzzed back at him almost instantly.

*Already upstairs. Gonna take a bath and a nap. If you finish sooner come join me.

-xoxo B

Chuck felt a smile start to grace his lips before a realization began to set into him. They had literally been home less than a day and his on again off again girlfriend was already pretty much moved in again. Granted, he had never deactivated her keycard but everything was moving at a rapid rate. He needed to get a handle on this situation. He knew that Blair was not going to like having to keep their relationship under wraps along with that her taking up residence in his suite would definitely be sending the wrong message to everyone. Everything was unraveling around him and even the numbers inside the file folders were beginning to blur together. He shoved his chair away from the desk and walked over to the couch and laid down upon it, placing his hands behind his head. Maybe if he took a brief nap he would be able to settle his thought process down and be able to head in to tonight with a clear plan. Regardless, it was better then the other alternative of downing scotch and letting the chips fall where they would.

Blair was pacing the floor of the living room, staring at her watch and sighing every time a minute passed. It was six fifteen and Chuck was no where to be found. She had called his phone some hundred times, along with his office phone and even called down to the front desk to have someone go knock on the door. She finally heard the elevator ding and turned in it's direction to see Chuck walking in quickly and looking disheveled.

"I know, I'm late. I'm sorry, I must have been out cold," he rambled walking passed her and into his room. He was shedding his clothes with the intention of getting into the shower. Blair followed after him catching articles of clothing mid air. "What is going on with you lately? I have never known you to be this deep of a sleeper," Blair commented as she threw the clothes into the bin next to his dresser.

"Just a lot going on," he stammered as he jumped into the shower.

She rolled her eyes and hopped up onto the counter taking a seat. "So, what details did you want to sort out before dinner?" she asked him off handedly while playing with her nails.

"Well, I was just thinking. Don't you think it would be a good idea if we kept things between us private for a while," Chuck asked trying to remain steady sounding.

"What do you mean private?" she responded quickly.

"Well, obviously your parents know as do Nate, Serena and Jack but I was just thinking until Jack and I have decided if we are going to move forward with project Bart maybe we should avoid letting him and Lily in on the news," Chuck attempted to explain.

"Chuck, it's inevitable they are going to find out even if they don't already know for that matter. Don't you think it's better to just rip the bandaid right off?" Blair reasoned trying to sound understanding.

"I'm not saying we lie, I'm just saying that we don't willingly provide any information," he countered with sincerity.

"Fine. I'll play along but I'm telling you, you aren't the only Bass with a slew of PI's and a desire to be the first to know everything," she mused walking out of the bathroom.

Chuck let out a sigh of relief. At least for the moment he had a small victory under his belt. Now he just had to survive dinner and find the right direction to head into with Bart and then he could enjoy the fruits of his labour this evening.

The limo ride over to Bart and Lily's had been uneventful. Blair had filled Chuck in on her meetings and the deal with Bendels and also, about her run in with Georgina. Chuck explained that the Bart search was going nowhere and he was beginning to have reservations about the whole deal. After the explanation Blair had become a bit more understanding of Chuck's desire to keep their relationship on the low. He was obviously having second thoughts about the whole process and announcing their reconciliation could cause additional rift with Bart right now which was the last thing he needed.

They climbed out of the limo upon their arrival and walked into the lobby and stepped into the elevator.

"Listen, I'll follow your lead okay? Don't worry about me," Blair offered turning toward Chuck and offering him a smile.

"Did I tell you how much I like the dress," he replied with a smirk.

"No, you didn't. You ran right passed me without so much as a kiss," she challenged offering him back the same look.

He leaned in and kissed her slowly letting his hands wrap around her waist. "I'll make it up to you tonight, I promise."

"After this dinner I have a feeling you are going to owe me more then one night," she replied snobbishly kissing his cheek and pulling away as the elevator dinged and opened.


	16. Chapter 16

I wanted to say thank you again to everyone for the follows, favorites and reviews. It really helps me stay motivated to keep on going with this story. Things are slowly going to start tying together from my reinterpretation of the original story and I'm also going to be adding in more stuff that I wish would have been included or at least explored. I'm hoping to keep this story going for quite a while as long as I don't feel that I am bogging it down to much by going slow or adding to many details. Again, reviews, suggestions and criticism are always appreciated! Thanks again! :)

"Charles!" Lily exclaimed walking quickly over to the elevator and gripping his shoulders while placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Lily, looking lovely as always," Chuck replied smiling at her.

"Flattery will get you no where with me especially with your sporadic calling this summer," she stated seriously with a hand still resting on his shoulder.

"I must apologize. You know I was looking into some investments and doing some traveling. Not being a president of B.I. has offered me quite a bit of free time," he replied with a tinge. "Speaking of my dear father where is he?"

"Oh, he will be right down. Blair darling, thank you for getting Charles to come to dinner this evening. I know he and his father aren't on the best of terms so feeling the pressure on your end must have been of great assistance," Lily commented looking between the two of them.

"No, Lily really there was no pressuring at all," Blair responded.

Lily smiled with her eyes and motioned them to step out of the foyer and they all took a seat in the living room. "So, Blair how was your summer?" Lily asked clasping her hands together and sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"Busy, I was in Paris the whole time training to take over Waldorf designs. You know my mother, she felt it necessary to keep me locked in the chateau all summer. I'm lucky I even got a few days off for the holidays," Blair told her with a smirk that she purposely left out of Chuck's direction.

"Well, at least you spent your summer in a productive manner," Lily countered as she observed Bart walking down the steps.

"I see our guests have arrived," Bart huffed as he stepped into the living room.

"Bart," Chuck said acknowledging him.

"Charles," he countered.

"Mr. Bass, thank you having us for dinner," Blair interrupted attempting to contort her face to allow for a smile no matter how fake it looked.

"Lily mentioned that you would be accompanying Charles. I take it you had no better offers this weekend," Bart said cooly looking at her with a devious smirk.

"Bart, why don't we head over to the table," Lily stepped in. "Hubert, can you please start serving our dinner," she asked of the chef standing up.

Chuck looked at Blair sympathetically and she offered him a small smile back. They got up and followed Lily and Bart to the table and took their seats. Bart sat next to Lily and directly across from Chuck while Blair was at Chuck's side.

"Lily, this looks wonderful," Blair complimented as the plates were set down in front of them.

"Thank you Blair."

"So, Chuck I hear that you enjoyed your summer sitting on yachts sipping scotch and talking up Blondes in Buenos Aires. Tell me, did you find time to do any work," Bart asked as he took a bite of his meal.

"Have your PI following me around?" Chuck retorted.

"Just thought I should even up the score since you had countless one's tracking me," Bart placed down his fork and stared Chuck in the face. Chuck shook his head and took a bite before Bart began again. "What I want to know is what exactly your searching for? It seems to me that I was more than generous to both Jack and yourself especially after your choice the night of the press conference."

"Just getting right to the point huh? No good old father, son catching up?" Chuck sarcastically asked.

Blair stared between the two men confused before looking to Lily who took in a breath and closed in eyes in preparation for what was to happen next.

"Chuck, what is he talking about?" Blair murmured.

"You didn't tell her?" Bart asked with unreal surprise leaning back in his chair and looking from Blair to Chuck slowly and maliciously.

"Don't," Chuck uttered. Bart let out a small laugh and shook his head.

"You see Blair, I went over to Harry Winston that morning of the press conference to pick Lily up something and they happened to tell me that they had a certain ring in their vault that had been dropped off on their door step. Lucky for Charles, one of the night managers saw him and recognized the ring. So, they gave it to me that morning to return to him. I got to thinking that maybe my son had matured, chosen to walk away from you and all those pipe dreams but I came to find out about him paying to get you out of your failed marriage and I had a choice to make. I brought Chuck the ring and knew that if he took it he was still the same immature child he had always been. Putting you in front of his family and his future. I knew then that I couldn't trust him to have any part of this company until after I was dead and gone for real and there would be no room to further disappoint me. Needless to say, he took the bait," Bart lectured.

Chuck practically had steam coming out of his ears and Blair's jaw had been on the floor for a solid minute before she composed herself and looked in Chuck's direction.

"You took the ring back? Before I even came to talk you?" she asked quietly.

Chuck ignored her question and stood up from his chair. "I think we are done here."

"I don't think so, I want some answers," Bart growled.

"I had a PI follow you because you are hiding something. You did not fake your own death to protect us or yourself over some bullshit with Andrew Tyler. There is something bigger here, something that implicates you in something far to deep that you won't be able to get out of if it comes out," Chuck yelled back at him.

"That's enough!" Lily yelled. "We are a family and this is not how we are going to treat one another. Your father maybe going about it in the wrong way currently but he is trying to make things work and make us become a family."

Chuck let out a laugh, "Do you hear the words that are coming out of your mouth."

"Chuck, calm down," Blair said standing up and walking in his direction. He backed away from her.

"Blair, why don't you have Arthur take you home? I will call you later." He said still staring at Bart and not offering her any type of reassurance.

"Chuck..." Blair began but he held up his hand to silence her. "You need to leave," he replied without emotion. Blair stared at him willing words to come out of her mouth but she found nothing to say that would have made the situation any better. She knew that anything that came out of her mouth would cause more trouble than good and the fact that Chuck had seemed to reverted back to his old form after being in a room with Bart for ten minutes was deeply bothering her.

"Yes, well, Lily thank you for the few bites of dinner," Blair replied with agitation before she walked to the couch and grabbed her purse. She walked out without so much as offering another word or glance into the direction of the rest of the room.

Once Chuck heard the elevator ding he began again addressing both Bart and Lily, "You want to be a family? Let's start with being honest."

"I spotted you PI following me around New York less than twelve hours after your plane took off," Bart said with indifference as he resumed eating his meal.

"I wasn't concerned about yours because I have nothing to hide," Chuck snapped back.

"Is that why you just sent your girlfriend home?" Bart asked.

Chuck took a deep breath and sat back in his chair, "She is, she isn't..."

"Exactly," Bart interrupted. "You cannot run a company like mine when your personal life takes precedence over everything else."

"And what do you call this?" Chuck asked motioning between Lily and Bart. "According to you, you have to be ruthless and love nothing and no one in order to be successful. Why do you get to bend the rules and the rest of us need to follow them?"

"Charles," Lily scolded.

"He doesn't care about you and if it comes down to it he will screw you over again and again. I'm not saying that I'm not pleased that you finally stopped slumming it in Brooklyn but you need to use your head here and stop looking at the dollar signs," Chuck spewed.

"You apologize to her, now. You don't speak to my wife that way," Bart yelled with vain in his neck starting to throb.

"You apologize to my friend and I will be more than happy to oblige. Lily knows I hold no ill will against her and never will. You are the one who views her as collateral damage, not me," Chuck began. "Lily you honestly believe that he has kept himself hidden for over three years to protect us? This has nothing to do with us. He didn't care about his wife, his son or his brother when he left and he never will." He looked Lily in the eyes as he spoke and he watched her becoming increasingly uncomfortable with each passing word.

"Charles, I know this maybe hard for you to believe but Bart is trying," Lily spoke softly reaching out to touch Chuck's hand. He recoiled immediately.

"Why did you leave?" Chuck asked carefully enunciating each word.

"Andrew Tyler," Bart replied back in the same tone and a raise of his eyebrows.

"It's only going to be worse when I find out the truth," Chuck explained with venom.

"Good thing that is the truth so all I have to worry about is how long it is going to take you to become bored and move on back to redecorating at that hotel of yours."

"I'll tell Jack you say hello," Chuck murmured standing back up from his seat.

"Remember my conditions Charles. As of now, this will all be yours when the time is right but if you keep this up and keep conspiring with my brother everything can change. This is your future. We all know that hotel isn't enough to sustain your lifestyle let alone that of your little girlfriend. Oh, and for future reference if I find out that this relationship is legitimate and not just another reoccurring notch in your bedpost I will be sure to include some kind of clause in the will. Do you know that you paid for that woman's divorce and she somehow own's a library and a wing of a museum in Monaco?" Bart jeered.

"I did what I did using my own money that I made from my own hotel," Chuck responded turning back to face Bart.

"A hotel that you bought using the shares you cashed out from BI and then bought back."

"I believe the term is investing," Chuck mocked him.

"An investment in her has proven to not have much of a return."

"What exactly do you have against her? I think out of everyone I am the one who should have issues with the mistakes she has made and if I have chosen to forgive her for them then I don't see who you are to keep bringing them up."

"Exactly. You have naively chosen to forgive her. You may not appreciate what I am saying now but when things take another bad turn you will remember that I was trying to tell you this for your own good," Bart replied with almost a hit of sincerity.

"And if I chose to forgive you for everything that you have done not only would I be naive but I would also be a masochist," Chuck countered.

"Who am I to argue with facts," Bart laughed. "I have work to do. You can see yourself out." He got up from the table and kissed Lily on the cheek before offering Chuck one final smirk before heading up the stairs. Chuck made his way toward the elevator with Lily quickly getting up to follow behind him.

"Charles, I love you both and I cannot take sides," Lily spoke sullenly.

"I think after that spectacle back there you already have," he responded before stepping into the elevator and pounding on the close door button without giving her another look. Chuck walked out of the building to realize that he had sent Blair home with his limo. He sighed deeply to himself before he began walking.

The walk should have seemed significant but with everything that was floating through Chuck's mind he felt like he had made it back to the Empire before he even had a chance to sort out a singular thought. He was surprised that he didn't have a single message or call from Blair considering how things had unfolded that evening but he welcomed the chance to go upstairs and have a drink with Nate and try to get an outsiders perspective and be able to reproach her rested and clear headed in the morning.

He walked into his suite and instantly heard Blair's voice booming as she spoke on the phone. "Dorota, just handle it okay. I have personal matters to attend to!" She hung up and threw her phone onto the coffee table as she leaned back on the couch and continued reading her magazine.

"I didn't notice my limo out front," Chuck spoke walking right passed Blair and into the kitchen. He grabbed his decanter off the counter and poured himself some scotch before leaning on the counter and staring in her direction.

"I didn't even hear you come in," Blair replied as she walked over to the kitchen and took a seat across the counter from him.

"Where's Nate?" he asked.

"He was here a little while ago when I got here but he said something about a girl and ran off. But, how are you? You have been gone for a few hours. How did everything end up turning out?" she rambled with concern.

"I thought that you were going home," Chuck countered not acknowledging her series of questions.

"We had intended to come back here earlier in the evening, I just thought you were saying that because Bart and Lily were there," Blair said with concern starting to leak into her voice.

"Listen, I''m tired and I'm pretty talked out for tonight," Chuck bit back taking a large swig and downing the rest of his drink before beginning to pour another.

"So your just going to stay in and drink alone?"

"Well, I was planning on drinking with Nate but I guess alone will have to do."

Blair rolled her eyes at him and hoped off her stool. "You know, your father's approval isn't everything."

"And what yours is?" Chuck asked.

"I'll leave you here to wallow. When you decide that you want to talk you know where I'll be," she replied easily grabbing her purse off the couch and walking into the elevator.

He heard the elevator close and he let out a deep breath that he was not aware he had been holding. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed Nate's number. It rang a few times before Nate answered.

"Hello."

"Hey, where are you?" Chuck asked.

"Actually, I'm over at this girl Amber's house. Intern for the paper," Nate explained with a hint of suggestion in his voice.

"I need a drinking partner," Chuck replied back seriously.

"Wait are you at home? Where is Blair?"

"Gone. Can you get back here or what?"

Nate let out a sigh, "I'll be there in fifteen."

"Good and pick up another bottle," Chuck stated hanging up the line and walking with his freshly poured drink out to the balcony and taking a seat.


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the update delay! Thanks again for all the reviews, follows and favorites. Please keep them coming! Hope everyone is still enjoying the story and I promise to try to get back on updating with the speed I was at initially! :)

"_Wakey, wakey Upper Eastsiders! Have you missed me? Once and a while we all need to take sometime to regroup and decide if the path we are taking is the one we have always been destined for. We need to step back and look at the bigger picture to see where our loyalties lie and sometimes if there is any point. If my summer has led me to any conclusions it is that I have been far to kind recently. Many of you have attempted in the past to hang me out to dry and I plan on returning the favor over and over again. This is the beginning of a new era. No holds barred. Hope you all enjoyed your summer. From the tips I've seen I'm gonna to enjoy putting it on full display. But, let's start with a little more recent news that will have a dethroned princess wishing she would have extended her time across the ocean... _

_SPOTTED: Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald drunk off their asses and frequenting their old stomping grounds. Looks like the more things change, the more they stay the same. Sorry B, no happily ever after for you. Seems like the return of daddy dearest may have brought out a side of Bass we haven't had the pleasure of witnessing in quite some time. So what's it gonna be C? Seems your free pass maybe running low... _

Blair Waldorf was officially pissed. She slammed her phone against the dining room table and scrunched her fists trying to regain composure.

"DOROTA!" she screamed while aggressively pushing her chair back and standing up. Dorota came running into the dining room carrying a cup of tea and the latest edition of Vogue.

"Miss Blair. I make you camomile to calm nerves and have Vanya pick you up style bible, should be able to provide distraction," Dorota stuttered nervously while attempting to pass Blair the items.

Blair snatched the magazine out of Dorota's hands and looked at the cover.

"Ahhhh!" she let out a scream, throwing the magazine on the floor. "While I admire Lady Gaga for thinking outside the box this is disgusting! Uh, Dorota I cannot handle this. How much does he expect me to put up with?"

"Miss Blair, I no know what your talking about," Dorota replied.

"I know you read that blast Dorota, stop playing illiterate," Blair fumed back while grabbing the tea from her and placing it on the table.

"Mr. Chuck go out from night with Mr. Nate. They have few drinks, let off a little steam. I sure it no big deal," Dorota said easily with a smile on her face.

"Wipe that look off your face now! Mr. Chuck led me in circles, lied to me about talking with Serena and is keeping some secret for her, wants to hide our relationship from Lily and Bart and now he runs around all night with Nate talking up hookers. I know I'm still technically serving my penance but this is getting out of hand. Maybe he is testing me. He wants me to react how the old Blair would or maybe he wants to not react at all. Uh, Dorota what should I do?" Blair asked with a high pitch shrill while walking over and dramatically throwing herself down onto the chaise.

Dorota grabbed the tea off the table and walked over to Blair and handed it to her.

"Miss Blair, you do nothing. You drink tea, take bath and spend day shopping online. I call and have macaroons delivered and you wait for Mr. Chuck to fix problem. You don't scheme. You wait," Dorota calmly explained with a stern expression.

"But, maybe he just needs me to help him," Blair retorted weakly while taking a sip of the tea and making a disgusted face.

Dorota shook her head, "No."

Blair let out a large huff and settled back against the couch. "Get me my Ipad and draw the curtains. This is not a penthouse of sunshine."

Dorota smiled and nodded before scampering off.

Nate's phone was ringing for the umpteenth time that morning and Chuck had finally had enough. He whipped his couch pillow over at Nate smacking him in the head.

"Turn that damn thing off, I haven't had a hangover like this in years," Chuck groaned pushing his face into the couch to avoid the light that was streaming into the room.

"Uh, that's the fourth time Dorota has called me," Nate murmured as he flipped his phone to silent. "How many times has Blair called you?"

"No idea. I turned the phone off after I called you last night," Chuck mumbled.

"Hum, so you haven't seen the blast this morning full on with pictures from last evening?" Nate asked grimly.

"Nathaniel right now I'm not overly concerned about it and since when is that bitch back? I thought she was on hiatus," Chuck grumbled finally coming to and waking up.

"Apparently summer is over," he mused flipping over on his couch and grabbing his head. "What the hell did we do last night?"

"You were the one who saw the pictures. I was hoping you would fill me in," Chuck replied.

"I know there was a girl in the bathroom," Nate stated with a smirk.

"I know I don't use public bathrooms," Chuck countered.

"Oh calm down, your leash was still firmly in place unless you snuck off when I did," he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Didn't happen," Chuck stated flipping over on his couch finally.

"So then why mute Blair all night?" Nate asked confused.

"I just needed to let myself breath a little. Get away from everyone and their expectations," Chuck said simply while sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

"Chuck, speaking as someone who once dated Blair Waldorf, from the sound of things she hasn't really been pushing you to hard. She seems to be letting you call all the shots and then when things go haywire you blame her or at least you block her out," Nate tried to reason.

"It's easier this way, at least for now," he mumbled back.

"Your gonna fuck it up," Nate stated plainly.

"Isn't that what I do best?" he mused.

"Not anymore," Nate offered while sitting up himself.

Chuck looked at him and offered a smirk. "Well, we are still entitled to the occasional night out aren't we?"

"Definitely. But, I think you have some explaining to do and you need some coffee and a shower before you attempt to grovel," he joked back.

"When did you start sounding logical?" Chuck asked standing up and walking over to the counter to start the coffee machine.

"Sounding and being are two different things," Nate laughed back. "Remember, girl, bathroom?"

"I'll take your word for it," Chuck groaned.

"Hey, do you happen to know what the deal with Serena is? I mean I know Blair and Lily were looking for her all summer," Nate trailed off.

Chuck laughed, "Really? The morning after bathroom sex and now your asking about Serena? I mean I guess that makes sense..."

"Hey! That's not, that's not what I was referring to. I just feel like a crappy friend. I haven't even tried to get in touch with her even when Blair was harassing me," Nate explained.

"Whatever you say. She will be home late tomorrow night," he answered.

"So, she's okay then?" Nate asked back digging for information.

"Alive and well, probably minus a few thousand brain cells but still hot if that's what your asking."

"That's your sister dude," Nate returned with disgust.

"Step-sister. No blood involved and it's like twice removed. I'd never go there, I'm just saying," he explained with no air of humility.

"Your twisted," was all Nate offered back as he walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat.

Chuck finished his cup of coffee and placed the cup in the sink. "So, how hard do you think Blair is going to be on me?"

"Your in deep. From everything you told me last night, she has a laundry list of shit she can throw at you. And you know Blair, leave enough to stew and boom," Nate said.

"I guess that a grand Bass gesture is going to be needed," Chuck concluded. "I'm getting in the shower and then I have errands to run. You may want to look up the doctor section in that little black book I gave you. After last night you probably have some things that need tending to as well."

Nate made a face at him before turning back to his coffee.

"God, I wish Barbie would get home already so that all the fun could start," Georgina said as she laid back in her lawn chair.

"We will be the first one's she sees when her plane lands tomorrow then we can meet with Alessandra in the morning," Dan groaned as he continued typing on his laptop.

"We are on the roof of an overpriced hotel experiencing the end of a glorious summer and all you can do is keep typing. We have gone over the story a thousand times. It is perfection," Georgina smirked while taking a sip of her drink.

"No point in wasting time. I'm only going to get one shot at doing this," Dan replied, never letting his eyes leave the screen.

"Well, technically this is your second try but whatever you say. Speaking of only getting one shot, when are we going to release this beautiful little cinematic gem to the world?" Georgina asked holding up her Ipad from her lap.

"Are you seriously sitting there watching a sex tape? A sex tape that I am in?" Dan asked with shock. Georgina merely smiled before lowering her eyes back to the screen. "The deal is she signs the agreement and the tape disappears," he reminded her while finally glancing in her direction.

"Boring. Once the book is out with her affidavit attached then it's untouchable. She really isn't stupid enough to believe there isn't multiple copies, is she?"

"It's a deal Georgina. Don't forget that we are signing a similar agreement that says there is only one copy and it will never see the light of day" he replied stiffly.

"It maybe your deal but it isn't mine. I agreed to help you this summer and I lived up to my end of the bargain. Now I want some return. Some fun. Also, do I need to remind you that we got the phone and tape off some scuzzy dealer. It's not like we know what he did with it before we acquired it," Georgina countered.

"The fun is their takedown. We may not know what he did or saw before we got the phone but it's none of our business as long as we don't find out in the next forty-eight hours."

"Why exactly are you so against the tape coming out? I've seen and experienced your performance and while it maybe lacking in duration at times, the outcome was certainly worthy," Georgina smiled as Dan looked at her with anger.

"Fine, you want the truth?" Dan asked with distain eliciting a nod from Georgina. "I don't want Blair to know about it okay?"

"Not Okay!" Georgina spat back at him. "What is wrong with you? You write a book where you pretty much air all her dirty details and then for some reason you don't want her to know how you achieved the ultimate payback. Think about it! How much would that hurt to know Serena not only stole her first boyfriend's virginity on that very bar but that she also seduced you into cheating on her there too! Their friendship would be irreparable. Not to mention how Bass would react when he saw her flip out about it. The undertones of that would haunt their relationship for years, if it is capable of lasting that long."

"Or not, maybe she wouldn't care in the least and then I would have a sex tape floating around for no good reason," Dan asserted.

"Or the truth of the matter is that you just don't want her to know that you cheated on her because then there is no chance of you rags to riches fairytale ever resurfacing," Georgina tested him.

"The book should take care of that," Dan said.

Georgina let out another laugh. "Well this is a twist. You still have feelings for her."

Dan made a face of inconveniencing dishonesty. "No way."

"Yes, way. After she didn't even give you the courtesy of dumping you in person before running back to Bass, you still think you have a shot," Georgina stated looking at him with disbelief.

"The tape was leverage. Serena is giving us what we want. In turn, we stay silent," Dan returned without replying to her previous statements.

"Your delusional if you think that she is going to go back to Brooklyn," Georgina grumbled under her breath before standing up from her chair. "I was going to ask you to get lunch but you made me lose my appetite. Maybe I should call Phillip, I haven't spoken to him in a few weeks. Text me and let me know the details for the meeting tomorrow."

"I'm serious about the tape Georgina," Dan said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered as she walked off of the roof and down the steps.

A few hours later Chuck walked into the Waldorf penthouse, peonies in hand, impeccably dressed and without any trace of the state that he exhibited that morning. Dorota walked to the elevator to meet him with an angry look on her face.

"Afternoon Dorota, is Blair upstairs?"

Dorota gave Chuck an openhanded smack on the shoulder. "You know how stressful you make life for me when you make Miss Blair upset? No, no, more importantly you know how mad you make Miss Blair?"

"I apologize for the rough morning Dorota but I assure you I am here to smooth things over, now if you'll excuse me," Chuck replied moving past her and taking the stairs.

Dorota let out a series of inaudible grumbles as he headed up the stairs.

Chuck approached Blair's door which was slightly ajar and pushed it open slowly to see her lying on her bed propped up with pillows and enthralled as "Roman Holiday" played on her television screen. He knocked lightly while walking into the room. Blair threw her box of macaroons to the side as she sat up quickly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked emotionless and staring him down. He gave her a sad smile before walking over and moving her legs aside slightly to take a seat next to her.

"I came to apologize," he replied as he handed her the flowers. She glanced at them as she took them and then set them to the side without a second glance.

"For what?" Blair asked blankly.

"Hum, where to start?" Chuck mused while tipping his head to look her in the eyes.

"Waiting," she goaded him.

"Well, we can start with last night. It seems I was taking out my bad choices on you and in turn decided to make a few more," he explained.

"Is that all it was?" she asked unaffected.

"Listen, I shouldn't have asked you to leave the dinner. I just didn't want to drag you into that and so in turn I pushed you away. Trying to hide our relationship from Bart and Lily was a hasty decision and there was no justification for it except that I didn't want to give Bart anymore ammo," Chuck attempted.

"I told you there was no point to that," Blair indifferently offered.

"When things still didn't sit well with Bart my solution was to resort to old habits," he finished.

"Alcohol and hookers, your speciality," she stated.

"Blair, you know nothing happened," Chuck said roughly while tipping her chin back to look in her eyes.

"Do I?" she asked him quickly. He kept the same look and never wavered causing her to concede and nod.

"It was a harmless night out with Nate, you have my word. As for the way I treated you before I engaged in it, that was wrong and I'm deeply sorry."

"You know Bass, your running out of sympathy from me. Eventually, I am going to stay mad at you and really make you work for it," she told him with a roll of the eyes.

"Does that mean I am forgiven?" he asked with a smirk.

"Can we please just put all this crap behind us and start our time in New York fresh like we were suppose to?" she asked back optimistically.

"There is one final loose end to tie up," he reminded her.

"What Serena is hiding from me," she grimaced.

"It's your choice. I will tell you if you want me to. But, if you don't then I am claiming no accountability when it shakes out," Chuck told her.

Blair clasped her hands over the comforter and stayed silent a few moments. "If Serena wants to tell me then she will. All I ask is that you don't lie to me if push comes to shove." He nodded at her before placing a hand on her cheek and pulling her into a kiss.

"When did you become so forgiving?" he asked her smoothly before moving his kisses down her jawline and to her throat.

"Somethings are just more important," she retorted leaning her head back.

"Hum, well I did have another important matter to address with you first," he replied as he moved back with a final kiss to the cheek.

"What could be more important then this?" she asked him as she pulled at the collar of his shirt.

"While not as important, the Bass gala is next Saturday," he began. "I was wondering if you would be agreeable to making our debut for all of New York to witness?"

Blair lit up at his suggestion. "Chuck Bass, are you asking me out on a date?" she replied coyly. "That is so sweet. I know just the perfect dress to wear. Though, I think after my being so forgiving lately, I may need something new and sparkly to accessorize with."

Chuck let out a small laugh and nodded. "I'm pretty sure that can be arranged."

"So then we will officially be official. Everyone will know," Blair raised her eyebrows as to look for Chuck's approval to her statement.

"What do you say Waldorf? Are you ready to deal with the scrutiny of being Chuck Bass's girlfriend again?"

"Are you ready to deal with the Monaco jokes that are now involved with being Blair Waldorf's boyfriend?" she retaliated.

"Like you said, somethings are more important," Chuck whispered as he pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled as him widely before moving over in the bed and patting the spot next to her.

"Get comfortable. I'm going to have to restart Audrey from the beginning," she smirked as he joined her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder while she leaned in and rested her head on his chest and began rewinding the movie.


	18. Chapter 18

So, I'm not exactly crazy about how choppy and in and out this chapter is but I was trying to cover a lot at once. Almost every character I have mentioned appears in this chapter so bouncing back and forth between their moments was a bit rough. I didn't want to focus on car rides to and from or how people got where they were so I hope everything still works. I wanted to thank everyone again for all the reviews, follows and favorites. As you can tell, I tend to get things out quicker when my email keeps dinging with people reading the story and leaving feedback. The last set of reviews were really great and I enjoyed reading the more detailed descriptions of what people enjoyed from the chapter and the story in general. Please keep all the great comments coming. I really appreciate them! Thanks again! :)

_Up and at em' kiddies. It is your first Monday back from summer vacation and you all have some pretty big messes to begin cleaning up. Well most of us are ready to begin with the clean up process, some of us are just beginning the trip home. _

_SPOTTED: Our golden queen boarding an aircraft homeward bound with a handsome new accessory. _

_I don't know about you, but after that display that C and N put on the other night, I am hoping for a second act starring our favorite leading lady. Let's hope that her new boy toy won't be holding her back. As for now, he remains unidentified. That's right children, start digging. I want all the details, every last dirty one. _

Dan was sitting in his father's loft in Brooklyn still editing his manuscript. He had been up most of the night doing the same thing and was beginning to feel the effects. Rufus walked through the door, setting a bag down before greeting him.

"Still working on your book?" Rufus asked.

"Just some last minute changes," Dan grumbled not looking up.

"Is that crazy lady still hanging around here or did she finally vacate?" Rufus inquired with a look of disapproval while peaking around the wall to see if Georgina was anywhere in sight.

"I'm not sure when she left actually. She came here last night and at some point I looked up from my laptop and she was gone. I'm guessing she will be calling any minute though," he mused out loud thinking of the blast that had just come out.

"Dan, I'm going to be honest with you, I'm kind of lost at what exactly you are up to. Not that I am opposed to granting second chances but you are hanging around with a woman who lied to you about being the father of her child, a child you took care of for months and I know she doesn't have exactly pure intentions. Plus, you are working on some secret project and all I have gotten out of you is that it was the story you should have put out in the first place. What gives?" Rufus lectured.

"Exactly what you said. I am working on the story I should have put out in the first place. Georgina might be a bit of a liability but no one has a knack for social destruction quite like her," Dan explained.

"Social destruction? Really? Where exactly is the motivation for doing this coming from?" Rufus asked seriously while taking a seat.

"Dad, these people have screwed me over, and you and Jenny time and time again. They have had no qualms about using us to the fullest and then selling us out the moment we stopped being viable to their intentions. I am merely showing them that they are not untouchable. I am telling them that they can be thrown about and sold out in the same manner," Dan attempted to explain with conviction.

"So, this is about revenge?" he disappointedly remarked. Dan shook his head before turning his eyes back to his laptop. Rufus slid forward on his chair and lowered the screen on the laptop so that Dan would look his way.

"I know things ended badly with Blair before you left this summer but you can't use a failed relationship as a pedestal for hurting people. I understand what you are going through, I more then anyone can understand it son," Rufus told him with a serious expression. "But, this isn't the way to go about things."

"This isn't just about Blair. This is about all of them. The things they have done, the way they have treated people. They need to be given the same courtesy if they are ever going to understand what it feels like," he rambled beginning to get aggravated.

"I think you are making a mistake," was all Rufus offered back before standing up from his chair and beginning to walk toward his bedroom.

"It's my mistake to make," Dan retorted quietly while turning the screen back up. His phone began ringing and he picked it up without even looking at the caller ID.

"I take it you saw the blast," Dan said upon answering.

"How did we not know about this?" Georgina asked with exasperation.

"I know as little as you do. I text her this morning and she told me that we were all set to meet at the lawyers office around 11 tonight. I had him finish drawing everything up this morning," Dan said with no worry.

"Dan, we missed out on a whole new angle here. We didn't even need to use the tape, it could have been out and causing misery already. If we had known about this guy we could have used her past as a means to an end," Georgina annoyingly stated.

"Well we didn't and I could care less. Let her worry about all that," he snapped back quickly.

"If I would have known that you weren't going to enjoy this then I never would have agreed to play," Georgina retorted.

"Be at the office tonight. After everything is in place then we will celebrate. I'll even help you work that angle if everything goes successfully," Dan finally relented.

Georgina let out a large laugh. "After these past couple of months, the last thing I need is you taking all of the joy out of another series of takedowns. I'm going solo after this. Black ops. Not even you will know when I'm going to strike next," she warned him.

"I'll take your word for it. Just be there tonight and let's end this," Dan replied.

Georgina hummed into the phone before hanging up without another word.

Chuck and Blair were sitting having lunch at 15 East while both on break from their work days. Chuck was toying with his sushi while deciding what he actually wanted to eat from the array that Blair had ordered while she watched him giggling.

"What is so funny?" Chuck asked playfully.

"For someone who is such a fine food connoisseur, you don't look like you know what anything is," she remarked with a smirk.

"Oh, I know what it is and that is why I am looking at it like I am," he explained as he picked up another piece and examined it with his chopsticks. She laughed again as she turned back to her food.

Both of their phones vibrated in their pockets at the same time and they each reached for theirs respectively. Chuck read the blast and gave an eye roll before placing it back in his pocket while Blair placed hers in her purse with a slight toss before looking at him.

"Really?" she asked with an attitude.

"What?" he responded in confusion.

"You were hiding the fact that she has a boyfriend? This is Serena. She goes through men like I go through Louboutin's. That is the stupidest thing you have ever started an argument over. Why of all things..." Blair rambled as Chuck laughed. "Really, now this is funny to you?"

"Blair, she mentioned she was seeing someone when I went to see her but I didn't give it a second thought. That is certainly not what she is hiding. I mean maybe she is hiding it but she did a horrible job," Chuck explained while almost confusing himself and finally taking a bite in hopes to detract from the topic.

Blair let out a huff before shoving another piece into her mouth.

"Remember you said you would let it go," Chuck reminded her gently.

"Trying," Blair replied quickly while offering him a fake grin.

"Shit, it's almost two," Chuck groaned. "I have a meeting in half an hour." He grabbed the bill off the side of the table and slipped in cash. "Meet me at my place later?"

"I have no idea what time I'm going to be out of the office but I'll text you when I'm done and head over," she agreed.

Chuck stood up from his chair and walked over to place a kiss on her cheek. "I look forward to it," he informed her with a smirk before fleeing the restaurant.

Blair sat back in her chair and looked at the blast again. She was trying to remain level headed but the fact that Chuck knew more about her best friends life and whereabouts was troubling her to no end. She had agreed to drop the topic with Chuck but even something as small as the blast was threatening to cause her to rebut on her agreement. She had plans with Serena tomorrow and she was determined to get the truth out of her then so that she no longer had this cloud hanging over her relationship with Chuck. Her cellphone began buzzing again to inform her that her next meeting would be at the office shortly so she took a final bite before wiping her mouth and walking out of the restaurant and toward the direction of her waiting town car.

Nate was sitting in his office over at the Spectator literally twiddling his thumbs. Business had been going well recently but overall there was not a ton for him to do during an eight hour work day. He caught himself going back to the conversation with Chuck about Serena over and over again in his head and finally decided to do something about it.

He picked up his office phone and dialed her cell phone number only to be directed to her voicemail immediately. He let out a sigh as he waited for the beep.

"Hey Serena, it's Nate. I just wanted to call and see how you were. Chuck told me you were coming home tonight. Maybe we can meet up and grab some lunch this week? Yeah, well I hope your well and I know we haven't exactly kept in touch this summer but I miss you. Call me when you land or tomorrow or whenever. Yeah, okay, bye..." Nate rambled before ending the call. He fell back against his chair and attempted to turn his attention back to his computer screen.

"I cannot believe the summer is over," Serena mumbled as she rested her head on her companions shoulder while aboard the plane.

"I told you I had no problem staying away from the city a couple extra weeks," Steven reminded her with a smile.

"While that sounded delightful, I have to get back. There is just too much stuff left unresolved that needs to be fixed," she replied with a sad face.

"I'm sure everything will be just fine. You know you can talk to me about whatever it is if you want to," he offered.

"I think I have to handle all this myself or at least the parts I can control," she moaned.

The flight attendant approached their seats and informed them that the plane would be landed at JFK shortly, to which they both nodded and smiled back.

"Well, I'll have my car drop you off and then we can meet up tomorrow and you can come see my place. See if it's somewhere you could see yourself staying," he stated while taking her hand in his.

"That sound's perfect," she grinned and leaned in kissing his cheek. "After the mouth full I am going to get from my mom tonight I need to figure out a course of action to getting out of there immediately. Now that Bart is not dead and she divorced Rufus and then remarried Bart and now is still living in the same house. Uh, the whole thing is creepy. I wonder if they even had the decency to go out and buy a new bed. I know the first one was still there when Rufus moved in," Serena grimaced while getting lost in her own thoughts.

Steven let out a laugh. "I thought you were at Blair's before you left for the summer?"

"Another issue that needs resolving. As for now, all my belongings are taking up squatters rights in my old bedroom at home. I doubt moving back in with Blair is going to be an option even if we figure everything out. I mean it's not like she would ever be there now that her and Chuck are back together. It's just a matter of time before she is staying at the Empire every night and Nate is looking for couches to crash on," Serena explained with a giggle.

"You are really going to have to go over everything with me again before I meet anyone," Steven said with a smile. Serena's face fell a little at his suggestion but she quickly recovered and offered a nod.

Chuck was sitting on the couch scrolling through the channels of the television while waiting for Blair to arrive. She had text him a little while ago saying that she would be leaving the office at ten and stopping home to get some things so she could leave for her morning with Serena straight from there.

Chuck's phone began ringing and he glanced at the screen to see Serena calling him.

"Sis, I'm guessing you are finally gracing the city with your presence," he mumbled upon answering.

"I landed a little while ago and Steven just dropped me off at Mom's," she replied.

"So, Steven is his name?" Chuck asked with amusement.

"Details to worry about later. I am waiting for a car to pick me up and take me over to the lawyers. Is everything set?" she asked impatiently.

"Well, we had a little change in plans," Chuck doled.

"Chuck," Serena began with hesitation.

"Listen, all this time between our first conversation and now allowed for some extra digging to be done. Did you happen to know that the lawyer I hired use to be partnered at WLRK before coming to Bass? Well, one of his associates just happens to represent the Sparks family. A couple of phone calls, a little fraudulent activity and his friend agreed to fix the documents to our satisfaction. They will never suspect a thing since their own lawyer drew up the papers," Chuck explained with an air of superiority.

"So there is an out?" Serena asked skating over most of the information to get to the point.

"The contact has a clause making your affidavit null and void in the event that it happens to be printed in the next hundred years or so. It seems the wording is similar to presidential documents," he said laughing.

"And what about their part? Once they realize I am going back on my word what is to keep them from going back on theirs?" Serena asked.

"The paper they are signing is saying there is only one copy of the tape. If there is any other that happens to get out then they lied. While I can't protect you from the ramifications of the tape surfacing, they will be paying for a long time," Chuck stated.

"Paying how? Chuck, all I want is for that tape to end up in my hands and then promptly burned after," Serena groaned.

"This is the best I can do for you. I'm not Houdini. I can't have someone look into their dysfunctional brains and pinpoint their plans," he said losing patience.

"What happens to them?" she asked again grimly.

"Well, a copy of the book will be in the hands of the state after it's intercepted tomorrow morning and they will have a gag order on all matters concerning it. If they choose to fight the case in court then the lawyers can keep them in there for years going over paragraph by paragraph. If he happens to get through that, the most he will be left able to prove is maybe some thirty pages of useless information. So, that kills the book. No literary agent in New York will touch it will a lawsuit pending from Bass. As for the tape, if it ends up getting released then they will be held fully accountable. That could mean jail time, fines, anything we really feel like pushing for," Chuck told her.

"Jail time?" Serena screeched.

"Oh, and you do know that when you and Blair are enjoying your girls day out tomorrow you may want to slip in all this information," Chuck suggested.

"The point is for her not to find out about any of this," Serena reminded him.

"Blair already knows that your hiding something. It's just a matter of time before she backs you in a corner and pulls your hair out by the roots until you give," Chuck mused.

"Listen, if they end up taking this fight to the point where I need to fill her in then I will. Otherwise, keep her out of it," Serena fired back.

"Your funeral," Chuck groaned. He heard the elevator ding announcing Blair's arrival. "She just got here. Text me after everything," he said before hanging up.

"I'm exhausted," Blair huffed before throwing her things down on the floor and flopping onto the couch next to Chuck.

"Long day at the office?" he asked her with a smirk.

"Not all of us have been running companies since we were seventeen," Blair replied with the same face.

"Exactly, your drive and ambition should be fresh and unrestricted," he replied placing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in.

Blair let out a groan and cuddled into him. "All I want to do is go to bed."

"My thoughts exactly," he retorted while running fingertips down the length of her leg and bringing his hand back up to rest in between her thighs.

"I guess I could muster up a little more energy if the activity was worthy," she replied looking up at him with a glimmer in her eye.

He stood up from the couch and pulled her up along with him. "You may want to set your alarm. It's going to be a long night," he informed her as he grabbed her lips in a deep kiss and walked backwards with his arms encircling her waist into his bedroom.

A short car ride later Serena had arrived at the office. She walked into the lobby and was greeted by the lawyer who Chuck had hired for her. They took the elevator up together to the office as he explained to her the process that was going to happen. She remained silent, only nodding as he finished each explanation.

When they walked in Dan and Georgina were seated on one side of the table with the lawyer Chuck had told Serena about and she took a seat across the table from them.

"Serena, pleasure to see you," Georgina mischievously stated.

"Let's just get this over with," Serena groaned careful to avoid looking in Dan's direction.

"Ok, Miss Van Der Woodsen, here is your affidavit, just sign at the bottom," the lawyer directed her.

"You won't mind if I have my lawyer look this over?" she confidently asked in attempting to play along with the ploy.

"By all means, please do," the lawyer responded.

Serena's lawyer glanced over the document and ensured that the wording was proper and that the clause was in before nodding at Serena. She picked up the pen off the table and signed the document letting out a sigh.

"Okay, and here is our agreement, please both of you sign on the last page. Then, we just need this tape and we can all go home," Serena's lawyer spoke.

Georgina reached into her purse, as "their" lawyer looked over the document and nodded, to pull out the tape and slid it across the table in Serena's direction.

"Really, I thought it was a little amateur. Especially with all the potential you showed in the earlier years," Georgina commented.

"Thanks," Serena snapped as she watched them sign the paper. "So, were done here?" she asked.

"I believe we are," the lawyers spoke simultaneously.

"I hope this was worth it," Serena spat finally looking at Dan.

"I know what wasn't," he replied cockily while staring at the tape on the table.

Serena snatched the tape and put it in her purse. "I was just so wrong about you," she mumbled as she stood up from the table and preceded toward the door.

"Don't forget to keep in touch!" Georgina yelled as Serena was exiting the room. She pulled out her cellphone and texted Chuck to tell him everything went as planned as her lawyer joined her and walked with her into the elevator.

"Well, now that that's handled. Tomorrow morning we will have associates waiting at the publishers office and after they see him drop off the book then they will go in with the necessary documents to seize it," he explained.

"How do you know they will go tomorrow?" she asked innocently.

"Anyone with that kind of bomb wouldn't want to wait before setting it off," he replied with an eyebrow raise. "Not the I know the content but Mr. Bass told me it extremely confidential information."

She sighed and nodded again as they reached the ground floor and exited the elevator. "I wouldn't worry, you have a top notch team handling this," he said before shaking her hand and walking away.

Serena walked back out to her waiting car and got in. She stared out the window as her car began moving but reached into her purse to retrieve the tape and fiddled with it in her hands. She stared down at it and her breath hitched slightly as tears began to flow down her face. She willed herself to stop and picked up her phone and text Steven asking him for his address. She wasn't ready to face her mother and Bart after what she had just endured and she wasn't sure if she would be able to face Blair the next morning either.


	19. Chapter 19

This is the longest that I have gone without an update and for that I am sorry. Life has currently been kicking my butt lately and finding time and motivation to get this done has been pretty hard. The last set of reviews were really awesome so I wanted to thank everyone who wrote them! Also, thanks to the new favorites and follows! This is more of a filler chapter to send things in the right direction. I am going to try and get another up before the weekend that ties this all together. After that, updates will probably be on the weekends from now on and most likely there will only be one a week. Hope everyone is still enjoying the story and that my once a week updates will still be sufficient. Please remember to leave some feedback! Thanks again!

_Gossip Girl here. Enough with the formalities. I'm skipping straight to the point. A little birdie told me that a hot story is slated to hit the market today. While it may take a little time for all the details to emerge, from what I hear it's enough to send most of the Upper East side running to their lawyers while shaking in their over priced booties. Case in point..._

_SPOTTED: Serena Van Der Woodsen leaving a meeting with her legal team last night or should I say the Bass legal team? Whatever is going on that bro and sis need to be sharing legal advisories? Look no further then lonely boy and whore-gina and we may find our answer. So kiddies what's the story? And more importantly, how does B feel about her boyfriend and bestie being so tight? Not even home a week and it looks like things are about to start shaking out... _

Blair shifted slightly on the mattress as she began to wake up. She felt a warm sensation upon her neck that was making a slow torturous path till reaching a pulse point and then the sensation intensified forcing her to open her eyes. She let out a low moan causing Chuck to chuckle against her neck before moving his face in front of hers.

"Good morning," he murmured as he leaned in and kissed her lips passionately.

Blair let out a satisfied sigh as she ran her hands through his tousled hair, "Good morning to you." She pushed him back so that he was laying on his back and brought her head to his chest and snuggled against him.

"You have a shopping date in a few hours," Chuck reminded her as he ran his hands down the lengths of her arms eliciting goosebumps.

"A few hours, is hours away," she stated seductively leaning up to stare at him.

"Well, I have to be to the office soon but what do you say to sharing a shower?" he asked her with a glimmer in his eyes.

"After the morning news," she replied enthusiastically while grabbing her cell phone off the side table. Chuck rolled his eyes at her and settled back against his pillow as she leaned on him and scrolled through her phone.

She stared at the blast with a hint of confusion. "What's this?"

Chuck reached and took the phone out of her hands and read through the blast. He let out a grumble before placing it back in her hands and sitting up.

"The problem I told you I was helping Serena with," he offered in an innocent tone.

Blair stared at him and opened her mouth a few times before finally speaking, "You, well, you didn't tell me that it involved Dan and Georgina."

"Does that make a difference?" he asked with a hint of irritation. Blair sat up and moved over to her side of the bed and began to fiddle with her hands.

"It's just, I told you that they had called me about Serena over the summer and I mean if you knew then I just thought you would have told me," she attempted to explain unsuccessfully.

"So is the problem that I am helping Serena with something and she didn't ask for your help or is the problem that the issue involves Dan?" he asked seriously while pushing back and leaning against the headboard.

"Uh, really Chuck? Jealous much?" Blair vexed.

Chuck let out a laugh. "Of Humphrey? You have got to be crazy. Why don't you just tell me what's going on here and we can have it out and call it a day."

"Chuck, I just feel out of the loop. I knew that getting back the relationships I damaged was going to take time and work but I feel like there are a million things going on that I know nothing about and that no one will clue me in on," she relented with a somber expression.

Chuck gave her a sad smile, "It isn't a matter of me filling you in on it Blair, its Serena's decision. If I had any involvement in any of this outside what I have told you and what you just saw then I would tell you. Now, shower, shop and maybe you will get all your answers."

Blair smirked at him and slapped his arm gently. "I'm sorry. You know this whole letting things go thing is kind of hard for someone like me."

"And I accept you and all your quirks fully," he commented as he stood up from the bed.

Blair let out a genuine smile, "Go start that shower."

"Don't have to tell me twice," he mumbled as he proceeded into the bathroom.

Blair picked her cellphone back up and dialed Serena's number. The phone rang multiple times before going to voicemail.

Upon hearing the beep Blair began speaking, "S, it's me. I should have guessed you would still be sleeping but some of us need longer than fifteen minutes to make ourselves look flawless. I have a couple errands to run this morning so I will meet you at Lily's. Let's say eleven-ish? Can't wait to see you!"

She threw her phone to the side and climbed out of the bed before walking into the bathroom to join Chuck.

Dan and Georgina had just walked into their meeting with his editor and were waiting as Alessandra skimmed through the pages.

"Well, I must say this is impressive. Typically, I wouldn't touch this without months of fact checking but with the affidavit. This could be exactly what you need to avoid the sophomore slump we were all expecting you to fall victim to," Alessandra explained as she placed the manuscript down.

"So you'll publish it then?" Dan asked. "Real names and all, no editing?"

"I have to send it through the ranks but I figure we can have this out within the month if we work overtime," she replied.

"Perfect. Send us over some numbers and we will decide if this is the place where this crown jewel can call home," Georgina stated with a smirk.

Alessandra let out a small laugh. "Excuse me? Dan is under contract here. I am his editor and while I could choose to work with a different publishing house that's not something I would consider. He was lucky the first time around but his luck ran out quickly. Maybe this book will bring you long standing success but as for now you are back at square one and you should consider the fact that you have any offer lucky."

Georgina's face fell and she looked to Dan who shrugged his shoulders and stared down.

"I'll be in touch," Alessandra stated as she motioned them toward the door. Georgina let out a huff and stomped out of the office as Dan followed behind her.

"Who is to say that she won't do whatever she wants with that? She just made it clear that we have no say," Georgina screamed as she walked quickly down the hallway.

"Just let her read the whole thing. Once she sees the quality everything will change," Dan stated rationally.

As they walked toward the elevator two men in suits approached them.

"Are you Mr. Humphrey?" one asked.

"Um, yes and who are you?" Dan asked back confused.

"And Ms. Sparks?" he asked and Georgina responded with a nod.

The other handed them each a packet of papers, "You have been served." The men didn't wait for a response but walked toward Alessandra's office and knocked.

"What the fuck," Georgina spewed as she headed toward the men. Alessandra opened the door and the men stepped inside.

"I'm sorry Miss but we are here from the Bass legal team and we are going to need to seize that manuscript. I have all the paperwork here and it will be turned over to the state's attorney office upon our leaving," the man explained.

"What are you talking about? There is an affidavit and everything," she asked.

"It was obtained under false pretenses and there is a clause making it null and void in the contract," the man told her while holding his hand out.

Alessandra looked from Dan to the man before grabbing the papers off her desk and handing them to him.

"This is ridiculous. I have copies of everything. Serena signed that document last night. I had my own lawyer draw up the contracts," Dan rambled.

"I'm sorry sir. If you have any questions I am sure the courts will be contacting you any day. Per the gag order I just served you with, I must request that this not be discussed outside of this office except with your own legal team," the man told him with shoving all the papers into his briefcase.

"Thank you for your time," the other said as they turned and walked out of the office.

"What the fuck," Georgina said again as the three stared at each other.

Serena rolled over in Steven's bed and let out a groan when she noticed that the spot next to her was vacant and cold. She reached for her cellphone and felt a piece of paper covering it. It was a note from Steven explaining that he left for work and there was a key for her on the kitchen table. She put the note to the side and picked up her phone. She listened to the voicemail from Blair and let out a sigh.

Serena knew that things with Dan and the lawyers were going down as she laid there, if they had not gone down already and she expected either him or Georgina to attack at any moment. Going out into the open with Blair would have been a suicide mission. She would leave herself open to be ambushed and wouldn't get a chance to explain to Blair rationally what had happened. Regardless of a gag order or them showing the tape, they could still tell Blair. Telling her best friend wouldn't exactly be legal grounds to enact grave consequences but it was the mere thing she was trying to prevent.

She dialed Blair's phone and was greeted with her voicemail this time. "B, hey. I'm guessing your over at the Empire. Stay put. I'm meeting you there." She jumped out of bed and ran to get dressed. She needed to tell Blair the truth before anyone else could get to her.

"Well, that was refreshing," Blair hummed as she began getting dressed. Chuck came up behind her buttoning his shirt and put his hands on her sides as he applied a kiss to her cheek.

"You know I was thinking," Chuck began as Blair turned around to look at him and he paused a second to smirk at her. "I was thinking that I may start looking for some alternative living arrangements."

Blair cocked her head to the side and stared at him, "Moving out of the Empire? Why, Chuck Bass I never thought I would see the day."

"Well, it's just the last time I had a serious girlfriend my roommate wasn't to keen on the way the situation was playing out," he explained to her while pulling her closer.

"A serious girlfriend huh? So where does this newly reformed Chuck Bass see himself living?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, I don't know maybe a shore house in Jersey," he joked.

"I'm not sure that is the right environment for someone in a committed relationship," she remarked as she placed her body flush against him and applied light kisses to his jawline.

"I actually have a meeting with an agent tomorrow. There seems to be a couple townhouses that have opened up on those finely numbered streets," Chuck murmured.

Blair pulled back quickly and stared at him wide eyed. "And, why are you telling me this?" she asked while biting her lip.

"Well, I just thought you may want to come with and provide some input," he retorted while smirking at her.

"Chuck," Blair stated seriously.

Chuck began rubbing circles on her sides and moving his hands further down as they came to rest on her backside and he gave a small squeeze. "Move in with me," he replied as more of a demand than a question.

"Chuck, are you sure that's such a good idea?" she asked hesitantly but still with a glimmer in her eye.

"You know that you would be spending almost every night here at the Empire anyways and I'm sure you didn't envision the beginning of our relationship again including Nate," he explained while pulling her back in and kissing her lips. She looked back at him and the seriousness of his expression and placed a hand on his cheek.

"You and me living together. In our own place," she mused out loud.

"What do you say?" he asked with anticipation beginning to worry that she was doubting the idea.

"I say, what time is our meeting tomorrow?" she smiled at him. He pulled her back into a kiss and dipped her slightly.

"It's open ended. I say we hit up a couple at lunch tomorrow," he mumbled between kisses.

"Perfect," she murmured back. Just then they both heard her cell phone beeping in the background to indicate a voicemail.

"Ignore it. Your going to be late," he remarked as he picked up her up and carried her over to the bed.

"You have work," she reminded him as he began to descend on top of her after laying her down on the bed.

"You come before that and I'll never have you think otherwise again," he responded as he began to kiss her neck.

Blair's beeping cellphone and the conference call Chuck was suppose to be heading to were both quickly forgotten.


	20. Chapter 20

Yay! Somehow I stuck to my timeline and got this done. Thanks for the reviews and follows and especially to those who are sharing the story via twitter and tumbler. I use to have a twitter for spoiler purposes but since the show ended, :-( , I have not really used it. Please keep the reviews coming! Thanks again everyone!

Serena entered Chuck's suite and looked around to find the place seemingly empty. She walked into the kitchen and set her purse down and instantly heard laughing coming from Chuck's bedroom. She cautiously approached the door and knocked.

"Nathaniel, I'm a bit occupied at the moment," Chuck called out as the laughing intensified.

"Chuck, it's me. I called Blair and told her I would be here," Serena replied.

"Serena!" Blair squealed while hopping up from the bed and grabbing a robe off of a chair. She threw the robe on and looked back at Chuck who was zipping up his pants and throwing his shirt on haphazardly while giving her a disgruntled look because their mid-morning activities had been disrupted.

Blair threw open the door once she deemed Chuck suitable to be seen and embraced Serena in a hug.

"What are you doing here? I left you a message saying I would meet you at Lily's," Blair said.

"Well, I wasn't exactly in the mood for shopping," Serena answered with hesitation.

"Are you sick?" Blair asked back seriously while backing up to take in Serena's appearance.

Serena let out a sigh and walked into the kitchen with Blair following behind her. "I was just hoping maybe we could order some room service and catch up."

"Of course, anything for a free meal," Chuck mumbled as he entered the room.

"Good morning to you too. Aren't you suppose to be at work," Serena asked with a condescending tone.

"Says the one with no job," Chuck retorted while approaching Blair. She played with his tie slightly and straightened it before applying a kiss to his cheek.

"I left the number for that appointment on your nightstand. Why don't you call and make some demands so that the process is narrowed down," Chuck whispered into her ear before kissing her lips. She nodded at him and gave a wide smile. "I'll see you tonight." He nodded at Serena before grabbing his briefcase and getting into the elevator.

"So, what do you want? I say we just have them bring the whole breakfast spread," Blair suggested while settling down on the couch.

"Yeah, yeah that's fine," Serena mumbled.

Blair called room service and turned the television on using Netflix to have Breakfast at Tiffany's playing in the background.

"Ah, it's like an old Sunday tradition on a Tuesday. Who said being an adult couldn't be glorious," Blair declared. Serena let out a small laugh before settling into a chair.

"Listen, Blair I really need to talk to you about something," Serena began.

"Is this about Dan?" Blair asked confidently thinking that Serena was looking to reveal the situation Chuck was helping her with involving the lawyers.

"Yes," she answered looking at her puzzled. She was beginning to think that maybe Chuck had told Blair some details that she had previously asked him to omit.

"So, what's with the legal team?" Blair asked blankly. Serena stared back at her searching for the words to explain. "Really, Serena what is going on? Chuck won't tell me. You went to him first. I mean I know we were fighting but if you were ever in any serious trouble you know I would be there for you in an instant."

"It was only trouble of my own making," Serena commented while a somber expression.

"Just spit it out," Blair cried out losing patience after waiting months to figure out exactly what had everyone running around in such a tizzy and covering for one another.

Serena looked at Blair and let out a quick breath, "I slept with Dan the night of the Shepard divorce party."

Blair gazed at her taken aback. Obviously, this was not the type of information she was expecting to hear and her brain was attempting to come up with a reasonable, or any type of response to this information.

"You slept with another one of my boyfriends at another Shepard event," was her response and though in wasn't witty or dripping in venom it was laced with a tinge of sadness.

"You had just kicked me out of the apartment and I was angry. I was using our fight as a means to try and get back with Dan and get revenge on you at the same time," Serena said.

"You purposely slept with my boyfriend? After everything we went through the first time? Then you ran away and lied about it? Again?" Blair was rambling now and a shade of red was beginning to come over her cheeks as the volume in her voice was increasing.

"You knew how much I loved Dan. He was my first love. My first great love. How the hell would you have reacted if I went and hooked up with Chuck after your history," Serena yelled.

"Do not put yourself and Chuck in the same sentence," Blair snapped.

"Exactly," Serena spewed as she settled back into the chair.

"So, how does this involve lawyers? And Chuck? Were you looking for advice on what to do when you need a paternity test?" Blair asked cockily.

"Wouldn't I have called you if that was the case?" Serena responded harshly.

Blair sat up straight with her mouth agape. "You bitch."

"What happened to everything that you said on the phone earlier this summer about understanding you made a mistake by dating Dan and that you knew how much it hurt me? What, Chuck takes you back and suddenly everything else can fall to the side?" Serena yelled.

"I am sorry for everything I did. Dating Dan was a huge mistake and I regret every moment of it but that does not make what you did okay. I did not date Dan to purposely hurt you. I did it because I was delusional and selfish. You were of sound mind, or at least as sound as your gets, when you concocted this plan to sleep with my then boyfriend to steal him back and get revenge on me," Blair retaliated.

"Blair, I'm sorry but you need to understand that my actions were a direct result of yours. You know as well as I do that you would have acted in a similar way had the situation been reversed," Serena replied beginning to calm down. "I didn't sleep with him till I already knew you were on your way to the Empire."

"And that makes it okay?" Blair mumbled looking away.

"If Chuck would have taken you back in that very moment then what would any of this have mattered? Even now, this changes nothing. You are with Chuck and Dan and I are nothing," Serena replied with little emotion.

"What else exactly happened Serena?"

"Well, when I knew you weren't coming I decided to tape it. I taped us having sex so that if he tried to deny it I would have a way of letting you know it was the truth."

"So, your plan was to get Dan back by making a sex tape and blackmailing him with it if he didn't decide he was in love with you again during some post orgasmic conversation," Blair asked with a bewildered tone.

"I didn't think that far in advance. I just thought that if we hooked up again he would remember how great we were together and maybe I wouldn't even need the tape but I had it just in case, I mean, I don't know."

"So, I'm guessing you weren't hiding out with him in Italy all summer since Georgina was his companion," Blair relented to try to get the story moving.

"He caught me taping us and told me he wanted nothing to do with me and that I had tricked him into cheating on you. I showed him the blast that you were at the Empire but he was just so mad. I went and saw him the next morning and he told me there would never be anything between us. After that I just fell back into some old habits and just kind of lost sight of everything for a while. I lost my phone and in turn the tape and somehow Georgina and Dan came into possession of it," Serena explained.

"So what? Since we are already airing everything out, I am positive there is no reason he would ever want his sex tape released. Not exactly quality material," Blair commented with an eye roll.

"Dan and Georgina spent the summer writing another book. Apparently, in this one they used all our real names and they needed a way to ensure it would get published without an intense overlook. They blackmailed me with the tape and said that if I didn't sign an affidavit to go with the manuscript then they would release the tape for everyone to see," Serena finally revealed.

"So Chuck brought in the best lawyers money could buy and you made it so that you got the tape and they got left with a meaningless piece of paper," Blair stated with a proud tone. "He is just so resourceful."

"Exactly, but now I have Georgina and Dan pissed and looking for blood I'm sure. We gave them a gag order but I knew they would either be visiting you or my mother first. I wouldn't be surprised if they were over there attempting to tell her every dirty detail," Serena murmured.

"And? It's not like Lily will listen to that nonsense and I mean while I am not exactly happy about all this, you came and explained," Blair said with a small smile.

"Blair, I'm seeing someone. Someone who knows nothing about any of my past and now I have to explain to him why I am involved in an intense lawsuit over a tell all about my friends and I. On top of that I have barely spoken with my mother all summer and now I come home with this. Then we have Bart who is going to start asking questions about all the legal bills especially since Chuck isn't even causing his usual antics anymore. I have nothing in my life figured out at all and things with you are a mess," Serena spoke.

"S, coming from someone who has had a lot of recent experience with their life spinning out of control let me give you two pieces of advice. Be honest and patient. That's all you can do. This book is never going to go anywhere with the Bass name against it and while things with us maybe messy that doesn't mean that I am not on your team. We will figure this out together, all of us."

"Do you really mean that?" Serena asked hesitantly.

Blair let out a small laugh, "Seriously Serena, you dated Dan forever. A sex tape with him even when he was my boyfriend is not that crazy. Now if you found the embedded files Chuck had..."

"Ah, your burning my ears. Stop! Please!" Serena squealed back finally cracking a smile.

"Now, all this nonsense is out of the way and you and I are going to Sara Beth's and then we are doing some hard core retail therapy," Blair chiding while standing up and heading toward Chuck's room. "I'm getting changed. Don't get in any trouble while I'm fifteen feet away." Serena rolled her eyes and walked over to the kitchen to grab her phone from her purse. She was surprised to not see a single call or text message from Dan or Georgina. Blair emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later and grabbed her hand leading her toward the elevator. She noticed Serena was slightly nervous and seemed to be moving slowly.

"Don't worry about them okay. Everything is going to work out fine. Look how well things turned out with me and I am your harshest critic," Blair stated with a genuine smile. Serena offered a similar look back and nodded while moving into the elevator to join her.

"I can't believe this is happening," Dan groaned as he lightly banged his head against the counter of the kitchen of his father's loft.

"Well believe it. They played us and quite well might I add. The touch of having our lawyer screw us was good," Georgina replied as she tapped her nails.

"What do we do now? Wait while some paid of court system tears my book to shreds leaving it with no resemblance of truth," he asked.

"We really don't have much of a choice. As for a means of revenge though, all we have to do is put the tape in the right hands at the right place and BAM!" Georgina enthusiastically stated.

"At this point I don't really feel like even arguing against it. I tried to do the wrong things in the right ways and it still got all messed up. I see no reason to hold back now. While we are at it maybe we can try to find a way to get excerpts changed around and published through a magazine or even gossip girl if we need to sink that low," Dan rambled.

"There is the Humphrey I have been hoping to find all summer. Now, first thing is first. Who can we get to do our dirty work," she asked with a grin.

"About the tape, I'm not sure. But, with the excerpts or at least some of them, I may have a plan," Dan mumbled as he picked up his phone.

"Oh, this is ideal. You handle that nonsense. I am going to do recon and find a friend who could profit from this tape release," Georgina gloated as she quickly jumped off her stool.

"And who can you think of that will enjoy Blair Waldorf's destruction who wasn't already around to witness the first six acts?"

"I have resources," she exclaimed as she walked out and slammed the door.

Chuck had just finished his conference call with his hotel affiliates in Dubai and settled back into his large desk chair before beginning to scroll through his emails. Jack strolled into his office and took a seat across from him. Chuck glared at him before during back to the computer only to be interrupted a few seconds later by Jack clearing his throat.

"Can I help you?" Chuck asked annoyed at having his attention distracted.

"Well, let's see. We were suppose to have a pow wow after your long weekend with the wife and your breakfast with Bart and we haven't spoken since," Jack stated while leaning back.

"Sorry, things got complicated. Other factors came into play," Chuck mumbled.

"I understand that you have a train wreck sister that you have to attend to occasionally but business is business. Have you come to a decision regarding Bart?"

Chuck rotated in his chair slightly and placed his hands on his desk and clasped them. "For now I think it's best if we back off the Bart front. We can keep the team on and looking and if they come up with something then we can move forward."

"You are unbelievable," Jack groaned. "You are just going to go on playing fairytale and run off and have a happy little family now."

"Jack, you and I are family. Bart is Bart. I don't trust him and I have no intention of it but what is the point in engaging in warfare with him when we have no means to gain anything yet. Conserve our energy and wait," Chuck reasoned.

"All that is going to happen is he is going to suck you back in," Jack replied.

"That will not happen. Jack, you just have to trust me here. He will slip up. I know he will. Especially with the added pressure of having Blair being around now. He is going to be so preoccupied with attempting to tear into me and my personal life that his own dealings are going to take a backseat to his need to damage me," Chuck stated confidently.

"I don't like this but I will play along. I'm using some of our acquired funds for amusement though since I will be staying in New York. Really don't feel like digging into my own rainy day fund," Jack mumbled.

"Whatever you see fit. The gala is this Saturday so I'm sure that will provide it's own means of amusement," Chuck murmured.

"I look forward to it," Jack stated standing up and heading toward the door. "Oh and just so you are aware. I had some crazy Sparks bitch come by my hotel a little earlier. She was asking all sorts of questions about the Bass legal group."

"Don't worry about her," Chuck replied.

"I'm not. But I must say, she definitely had something about her," Jack confessed.

Chuck scoffed at him and shook his head. "As someone who has been down that road I would advise against it."

"What can I say, I love a good mistake."

"She's married and she has a kid," Chuck tried to explain.

"Well, things just got interesting," he stated as he walked out of Chuck's office and shut the door behind him.


	21. Chapter 21

Chuck came back to the suite from work that night to find Nate sitting on the couch flipping through the channels. He threw his briefcase onto the side table and plopped down onto the chair across from him.

"Long time no see," Chuck said as he kicked his feet up and placed them on the ottoman in front of him.

"Yeah, it seems I haven't been seeing or hearing much from anyone these days," Nate groaned not taking his eyes off the television.

Chuck let out a small laugh, "Is someone feeling left out?"

"Well, let's see, I have pretty much had to keep myself scarce around here to avoid catching you and Blair in any awkward positions, Serena hasn't returned a single one of my calls and Dan is a psychopath who is looking to destroy all our lives. On top of that the Spectator, while doing well, hasn't had a major story break in weeks," Nate rambled.

"Nathaniel, cool it with the dramatics. We have all been home what a few days? And we did just go on a bender a few days ago. As for Serena what can I say? Somethings never change."

"I'm just so bored," Nate relented throwing the remote onto the couch.

"You need to get out, find some fresh meat," Chuck replied with a head tilt. "Why don't you call up Jack, I hear he is on the prowl."

"On the prowl? Seriously Chuck? I just need a change."

"Well, actually speaking of change there is something I needed to discuss with you," Chuck began sitting up straight. "I've been speaking with a realtor about trying to find a townhouse."

"Chuck Bass living in a townhouse? How did Blair get you to agree to this one?" Nate asked unamused.

"It was my idea. We have just had such a rough start and I want something for us to have that's just ours. A new beginning per say. Even though were together I know she feels in someway like I have been holding back and I just want to prove to her that I'm in this and I forgive her," Chuck explained.

"So you prove you forgive her by moving in together? That feels a bit rushed don't you think?" Nate asked.

"Blair and I have never really been ones for slow. I want this. I feel like this is what we need to move forward. We need to show each other that the trust is there and this is one of the biggest steps we can take."

"So are you saying that I need to start looking for a new place to live?" Nate asked grimly.

"I'm saying that the place is yours once I find somewhere," Chuck stated with a smirk.

"Well, thats certainly a change," Nate mumbled.

"Really Nathaniel, I just gave you a suite in a prestigious hotel at no cost. Please show a little more enthusiasm or at least some mild appreciation," Chuck replied.

"If you had made me pay rent before maybe I would be more enthusiastic."

"Blair text me when I was on the way home. She said that her and Serena would be coming back here soon after they finished up their shopping day," Chuck commented.

Nate turned his head towards Chuck suddenly with a look of surprise.

"Uh, I didn't think we would ever end up back at this point," Chuck mumbled running a head through his hair.

"What are you talking about?" Nate asked trying to play cool.

"You are totally having twisted thoughts about your ex. Who also happens to be my sister. Who also happens to be my girlfriend's best friend."

Nate let out a sigh, "It's stupid really. I know it's not going to go anywhere it's just, I don't know."

"You do whatever you need to do but just be aware she came back with someone. I'm sure you read the blast," Chuck reminded him.

"What do you say tonight we hang out just the four of us? Catch up on old times," Nate suggested.

"Well, you'll have to run it past them but sounds like a plan to me."

Shortly later Blair and Serena came walking through the elevator with a few hotel employees behind them carrying a slew of shopping bags. "You can place hers over there and put mine in that bedroom please," Blair spoke as she headed through the hall and into the living room. The employees placed the bags down as Chuck walked up and slipped them all a tip before they made their way back to the elevator.

"Oh, if it isn't the elusive Nate Archibald in the flesh," Blair commented as she strolled towards Chuck and planted a kiss onto his cheek.

"Hello to you to Blair," Nate replied as Serena came into view. "Serena."

"Nate!" Serena exclaimed walking over to him. He stood up and they embraced in a quick hug. "How have you been?"

"Good. Pretty good. And you?"

"I've been better," Serena groaned. "But, now that I'm back in the city with all my favorite people things are finally starting to look up."

"I was just suggesting to Chuck that we should all hang out tonight and catch up on the summer," Nate suggested.

"Oh, I wish I could but I haven't even been to see my mom yet and I am supposed to meet up with Steven later. I can't wait for you guys to meet him this weekend at the Gala," Serena stated jovially as she rummaged through her purse trying to find her phone.

"Yeah, about that, I think I'm going to pass this time," Nate grumbled as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer.

Chuck approached him and waited till the girls were emerged in conversation before addressing him. "Not even going to come check out the competition?"

"Weren't you the one who told me she was a lost cause?" Nate asked.

"No, I said that you two working was a lost cause. Serena is fickle. She floats from one relationship to the next based purely on whims. I am not judging her. In many ways I commend her but she isn't exactly who I would suggest you getting involved with again," Chuck explained.

"Well, supposedly Blair has changed. What makes you think Serena isn't capable?"

"Nathaniel, you going to do whatever you want to do so just do it. But, just so you know, when it all comes crashing down neither Blair or I are going to be taking sides," Chuck replied. He walked back to the living room to join the girls.

"I really should be going," Serena stated looking at her phone. "I hope you reconsider Saturday though Nate. I really would love for you all to meet Steven together."

Nate nodded trying to ignore the amused look that was plastered on Chuck's face.

"Oh, Nate your coming. This is going to be a big night and we may at least need you for comic relief if everything blows up," Blair insisted while taking a seat on the couch.

"Why thank you Blair," Nate replied as he sauntered off into his bedroom and away from the other three individuals.

"I'll call you later tonight B. And thanks for everything earlier. I know that probably wasn't easy for you," Serena stated while leaning down to hug a seated Blair. Blair smiled slightly and patted Serena's back.

"Bye S," Blair replied sweetly. Serena made her way to the elevator and headed out.

Blair turned and faced Chuck giving him a look that he had seen many times before. A look that typically meant that what was to follow was going to be extremely unenjoyable.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Scotch and poured himself a drink before he joined Blair in the living room to address the look that he could feel burning through him from across the room.

"So, I'm guessing by that face that Serena told you everything," Chuck began while settling into a chair and taking a sip of his drink.

"I'm going to try my hardest to be understanding here because I agreed to let this go, well agreed until I knew exactly what it was. Why the hell would you not tell me that after you went to see her?" Blair asked obviously confused.

"Blair for the final time Serena asked me to keep it to myself," Chuck huffed.

"That's not it," she combated back.

"What are you trying to get me to say?" he asked with agitation.

"Chuck, you have never been one to keep something to yourself no matter who asked you," she reasoned.

"Blair, you and I were not even in a relationship when I found out about this. The last thing I wanted to do was fill you in on Dan's two timing ways and feel like you chose to be with me by default," Chuck confessed.

"Chuck, I came to you months before that. I came to Monte Carlo in May and you didn't even find out about this till July. I told you I was all in. Why would you believe that would effect a decision I had already made. I came to you before or as that was happening," Blair asked genuinely concerned.

Chuck said nothing but stared at the glass as he shifted it back and forth in his hands.

"And then you asked me to get back in a relationship the next day? Why would you do that if you thought that I was choosing you by default?" she asked still waiting for any type of response. "Chuck this isn't going to work if you don't trust me and talk to me. Why did you make us official the day after you found this out?"

"I'm over it okay?" he replied in genuinely.

"Well, I just found out about it so excuse me if I feel we need to go back and look over the details a bit more before we put it to rest," she fumed.

"I just wanted you to know that I wanted us. I may not have been ready but I knew we could ease back into things. I could learn to trust you since we were spending so much time apart and I guess part of me felt guilty for the Serena business," Chuck mumbled before taking a large gulp.

"So you got back together with me partially out of guilt?" she asked with sadness laced in her voice.

"It was probably why I chose that moment but it was not the reason why."

"And you didn't trust me? Or should I ask do you trust me now?" Blair replied biting her lip.

"Not completely," he stated while looking in her eyes.

"Is that why you asked me to move in with you?" Blair asked.

"Excuse me?" he replied turning his attention completely to her and placing his drink down on the table.

"Why did you ask me to move in with you? Was it so that you could keep track of me until you truly believed that I was in this for good?"

"You know damn well that I never kept track of you when we were in a relationship. True I may have had some of my PI's do some tracking before we were official or when we went to war but you know I respect you and your privacy," Chuck stated angrily standing up from his chair.

"Then why?" Blair asked.

"You have a lot of nerve. After everything, I am giving you what you want. You waltzed back in my life three months ago and I have blown every rule I tried to apply to this relationship to please you. I keep worrying that if I want to slow things down or if I question anything then you are going to make a run for it."

"Maybe that's the problem with this relationship," Blair stated seriously looking him in the eye.

"You're right. Me forgiving you was a mistake," he replied picking up the drink and walking away into the kitchen.

"Chuck, that's not what I am saying. I'm saying that we haven't been ourselves. I am walking around on egg shells not only around you but around Serena too. When you told me that you spoke with her or that you went to visit her, I was so angry but I bit my tongue because I thought things were too fragile to be already fighting. Then the other day at Bart and Lily's. I couldn't remember the last time you made me feel so insignificant. Even when I tried to talk to you when you got home. I just forgave you the next day like it was nothing even after that blast and everything. You go through mood changes constantly. Some days you seems all in and some you seem like you have one foot out of the door," Blair began to shout. "Didn't you think that was weird? Didn't it occur to you that I have never been that calm and rational without a blow up being the result?"

"I'm sorry that I cannot read your mind. If you have something to say then say it. Don't make me play this guessing game," Chuck yelled back.

"And this attitude of yours. This whole holier than thou, have never done anything wrong attitude. You think that you can just take everything out on me and throw me under the bus every time things don't go how you want," Blair countered.

"What the hell are you even talking about? I was sitting here minding my own business when you went off on me because your best friend slutted it up with your boyfriend and I knew and didn't tell you. History certainly has a way of repeating itself doesn't it?" Chuck asked with a cocky smirk.

"Congratulations, what can I say? All my boyfriends loved Serena more then me except the foreign guy who only married me to save face and you because it's not within New York's legal constraints. Happy?" she screamed finally rising from the couch and heading into his bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Chuck asked annoyed while standing up and walking into the bedroom. He saw her collecting her bags and she dragged them past him and into the entryway.

She placed all her bags near the elevator and turned around to face him. She grabbed his hands in hers and attempted to explain, "I love you and I wanna be with you. I wanna live with you and marry you and do all those wonderful things but I want it to be you and me. I can't handle waking up every morning and not knowing if today is the day you decide to trust me completely and stop holding me at arm's length and I can't keep holding my tongue for fear that you will leave or fight with me if I say the wrong thing. I can't keep being someone else to try and get everyone to forgive me. I need to be myself and I haven't been ever since I figured out everything I really wanted."

"So what are you saying?" Chuck asked in a hushed tone.

"I'm saying that I think we need to slow things down. I think we need to start back at square one and for you to see if the people we have become in all our time apart are in most ways the same one's that both of us thought we wanted to spend forever with before everything. I can't try to convince you anymore because nothing I say or do is going to magically fix this. Moving in together isn't going to fix this. I just need to be patient and hope that over time you will come to see what I do" Blair said with a tear glimmering in the corner of her eye.

"Blair, I don't need to start back to square one to know your the person I want to be with," Chuck tried while pushing a strand of hair from her face. "Moving in together isn't supposed to be a quick fix. It is supposed to be our fresh start."

She eyed him skeptically and let go of his hands, "Chuck, chances are it would cause more harm then good."

"I don't believe that," he replied grabbing her hands back.

"I do. I don't think were ready," she explained quickly.

Chuck dropped her hands from his and turned around back to the living room to his seat and his drink. He sat down calmly and refused to glance back in her direction. She let out a large sigh and walked over to the chair and lowered herself so that she was at eye level with him.

"Chuck, I need to know that you really forgive me and love me. The real me. Not this version I have been parading around as. I need to believe that I can still be myself with you and that you aren't going to jump to the assumption that because I get angry at you for something that I'm heading for the door. I need to be able to tell you how I really feel and not be worried that you are going to lose it on me or bring up old wounds. We need to work on being a couple before we can work on living together or everything that comes after that," Blair tried to explain. "There has been so much in the past couple of months that I never would have stood for before but I feel like I owe everyone so much that I have allowed you all to treat me as a doormat because I'm afraid if I don't you will all turn your backs on me."

"I apologize that you feel that me taking you back had conditions attached to it. I told you that I needed time, I didn't say that I needed you to act like a different person," Chuck groaned.

"And I think the fact that you didn't even question the way I was acting how I was speaks for itself. I'm not blaming you, I'm sure that this hasn't been easy for you to navigate either. As for conditions, I think you know very well whether you have stated it or not that this relationship has been a series of conditions since we got back together. We can keep talking in circles but it doesn't change anything. I want this relationship but I need to feel comfortable in it too. That's the only way we are ever going to work," she explained with the sound of confidence increasing with each passing sentence.

"So what exactly do you propose?" Chuck asked, his voice a mixture of both anger and the attempt to hide it.

"I propose we keep doing exactly what we have been doing but just as ourselves. We just got back to the city, we don't need to rush everything," she said lifting herself up slightly and planting herself on his leg.

"Fine," he mumbled giving her a fake smile.

"And you mister need to work on this new found personality disorder you have been sporting lately," she stated playfully trying to lighten the mood.

"Noted," was all he offered as he leaned further back and took a long sip of his scotch.

She observed him for a few moments before deciding that it was probably best to give him time to absorb everything. She leaned in and captured his lips with hers and offered a sweet kiss before smiling at him. "I'm going to head home. I've got some stuff to go over for tomorrow and Dorota is going to have a fit when she sees everything she needs to place into my newly organized closet."

He nodded at her with a slight smile.

"Chuck, this is the best thing for us. I know it is," she asserted.

"I'll play by your rules but I'm still going to the appointment tomorrow whether your coming or not," Chuck disclosed.

Blair looked at him confused.

"I won't rush you into anything but it's time for me to move on from this," he explained with a hand motion displaying the suite. "Besides, I think Nate will learn a lot from having to pay for room service and cleaning costs."

She let out a small laugh, "You may want to let him know that's not included in rent."

"I'll call you when I'm done tomorrow, meet for lunch?" he asked with a kiss.

"Sounds perfect," she replied.

Across town Bart Bass sat at his desk scrolling over pages of print out's. He heard the elevator ding and recalled that Lily wasn't expected home for at least a few more hours. He pushed his papers aside, stood up and walked out of his office and into the foyer.

"Mr. Bass," Dan greeted him.

"Daniel, what are you doing here?" he asked coldly.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but I have a business matter that I need to discuss with you," he explained with a look that was easily recognizable to someone like Bart.

"I suppose I could hear you out. Why don't you step into my office," he replied as he began walking back to the room he had just come from.


	22. Chapter 22

_Annual Bass Gala _

Blair leaned against the tall table and took a small sip of her drink before letting out a large sigh.

"I mean really do you believe him? Who does something like that?" Blair finally asked quickly.

"Chuck, Chuck does something like that," Serena mumbled staring at the ballroom's doorway.

"He knew exactly what he was doing. He took me to that townhouse knowing good and well that I would fall in love with it and then he has the nerve to pick that second rate, postwar monstrosity," she fumed back taking a large swig.

"Well, B, last I checked it was his choice right? You were the one who wanted to slow down right?" Serena asked with an air of indifference with her eyes still glued to their previous point of interest.

"That is not the point. The point is that we will live together eventually and he should be considering what I want. Scratch that. He should get exactly what I want."

"I know you both seem to think I'm second rate when it comes to mind games and manipulation but don't you think Chuck could be working another angle here?" Serena asked naively.

"Of course he is!" Blair exclaimed. "He wants me to cave. He thinks that if he dangles the townhouse in my face that I will just fold on what I said because it is far to perfect to pass up."

"But, it's far to perfect to pass up?"

"Chuck maybe quite skilled in his scheming but I can read him like a book and I have a plan," Blair confessed with confidence, picking up her drink and finishing it off.

"And, what might that be exactly?" Serena asked not really wanting to know.

"He gets me what I want or I withhold what he wants," she mused.

Serena let out a large laugh and finally turned her eyes towards Blair. "That is the worst plan I have ever heard of coming from you."

"Hey! Chuck operates on three pleasure principals. Money, sex and me. I control two-thirds of the stake, therefore it should be a success."

"You are forgetting about the part that you may actually just be more of a nymph o then Chuck," Serena groaned with disgust and made a face looking back toward the door.

"Watch your mouth. Do you see where we are? Moreover, we all know that I can excel in self control when it is required," Blair explained trying not only to convince Serena but herself. "And what are you staring at? I am trying to have a serious conversation with you and you can't even give me your undivided attention!"

"I'm sorry. It's just Steven was supposed to be here almost an hour ago and still nothing. I must have called him a million times," she explained sadly.

"S, really? You are worrying about your latest fling when I am going to be stuck living in the townhouse of horrors?"

"Blair. It's a fifteen million dollar townhouse. You'll survive," Serena stated exasperated.

"Serena. It was a summer fling. It's over," Blair replied condescending.

"I'm going to find Nate," Serena declared grabbing her bag off the table and walking away.

"Shocker," Blair mumbled as she headed toward the bar to refill her drink.

Across the party, Bart, Chuck and Lily were speaking with investors as one of Bart's assistances approached him and gave him a message behind a hidden hand.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a matter that needs to be taken care of," Bart stated as he walked away with the assistant.

Chuck offered an eye roll as he looked over to Lily.

"Charles, you have both been on your best behavior this evening, let's not ruin things now," Lily murmured while waving at a woman across the room.

"I already told you. As long as he leaves Blair off limits then I will stand here with this fake smile plastered to my face for the remainder of the evening."

"I know you don't want to believe it but he is trying," Lily offered back.

"Well, I'd like to see some proof of that," he replied.

"All in good time," Lily asserted as she squeezed his shoulder and walked over to the couple that had just approached.

Chuck noticed Blair across the room near the bar and made his way over to her.

He approached behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Enjoying yourself?" he whispered into her ear as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Well, while our first public outing seems to be going off without a hitch, I thought Bass only served top shelf. This is my third martini and I don't feel a thing," she stated while turning into him.

"I suggest you slow down. They creep up on you," he explained while wrapping her up a little tighter.

"You're probably right. We wouldn't want me embarrassing myself in front of your father," she stated sarcastically with a smirk.

Chuck let out a a small chuckle. "I believe he has been told to be on his best behavior tonight. Regardless, he is off in his office doing some type of business so there is no telling when he will actually make a reappearance. We can only guess it will be within a three year time period."

Blair swatted his arm. "Serena's date never showed up."

"Oh really? That's strange," Chuck commented airily.

Blair gave him a look before glancing over and seeing Nate and Serena engaged in deep conversation. "Charles Bass! What did you do?"

"I may have assisted with his tardiness. I'm sure he will show up once his limo gets a few spare tires and the driver finds the way to the right location," Chuck mused looking straight at her.

"Chuck! Why would you do that? You knew how excited she was for all of us to meet him."

"Nate wanted to call in a favor and since I am abandoning him and leaving him to have to face reality all by himself, who was I to deny him," Chuck replied with a sympathetic tone.

"Leaving him to face reality? He is going to be living rent free in a penthouse in a five star hotel while you are living in that, that putrid building society has labeled a townhouse," Blair sulked.

"Blair," Chuck began, "I told you. It's a good investment."

"Investment in making me agree to move in with you," she shot back.

"I am not making you agree to anything. You said you were not ready to move in with me. I on the other hand am ready to move out. Therefore, I need to choose a townhouse and that is the one I chose," he replied calmly.

"You know I want the other one!" she stated with a look of agitation.

"And, you know that I want to live with you. I have accepted it is not going to happen right now and you should accept that I'm not buying that house," Chuck explained.

"I'm not moving into that disaster. Never. Ever," she huffed back.

"We'll see," he mumbled.

"I'm not sleeping over there," she pushed only to be met will a loud laugh from Chuck. "I'm serious. I'm not," she amended raising her voice.

Chuck let out a sigh and lead Blair over to the end of the bar where a chair was available before pulling it out a slightly helping her onto it. He looked at her and lightly shook his head.

"Blair, have I ever denied you anything?" Chuck asked seriously.

Her face instantly transformed into a state of peacefulness and her eyes began to glimmer as she shook her head.

"I know patience has never been your strong suit but if your merely waited till after the Gala," he sighed. "I signed the papers this afternoon. Whenever your ready, it will be ready."

She let out an undignified and loud screech as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his lips passionately. "Are you serious?"

"Would I joke about this?" he asked with a laugh.

"I'm so excited. Oh my god. We are going to have to start looking at floor plans and talking to designers," she began rambling without removing her arms from around his neck.

"Uh, uh hold on," Chuck said as he removed her hands and placed them in his. "I gave you what you want now you have give a little."

Blair gave him a confused look.

"Were not doing any renovations until your ready to move in with me," Chuck explained with a serious tone.

"But, that's ridiculous. We could spend all this time making everything perfect and then when it's time we will have nothing to wait for," Blair stated sweetly while pulling his hands closer to her.

"Compromise," was all he replied.

She let out a huff. "Okay how about this, no construction or purchases but planning is acceptable."

"Deal," he murmured as he pulled her in and kissed her lips. She smiled contently and peered over his shoulder and noticed Jack and Georgina huddled up near the other bar with his hand resting on her arm.

"What the hell is she doing here? And with him?" she blurted out while extracting herself from Chuck.

"It seems Jack became taken with her following a brief visit she payed him earlier this week," Chuck explained without much emphasis.

"She is working with Dan!" Blair reminded him.

"Jack will keep her under control, I'm not worried," he replied.

Blair gave him a worrisome look before turning back to her drink.

"Daniel, thank you for coming," Bart mumbled as he took a seat across from him at his desk.

"Thank you for having me," he grinned across the desk.

"Well, I called you here because I had some time to look over your drafts and consider your proposal. I just have a few questions," he explained to which Dan nodded. "It seems there are some parts of this story that have been excluded."

"No Mr. Bass that's the full story," he replied.

"Dan, as a business man I like to always take into account all pertinent information before I make an investment. While I may enjoy watching my son squirm and may not agree with the way that he choose to live his life, he is still my son."

"Mr. Bass, I'm not sure where you are going with this," Dan explained with confusion.

"An associate of yours paid me a visit this afternoon. It appears she had a tape she was looking to profit off. She was looking along the lines of stirring up some trouble but cash usually has a way of altering people's motives. I bought it from her for a reasonable fee but what really peaked my interest was when I mentioned our prior meeting to her. When I showed her what you presented me she seemed to recall there was another version of events," he told him while reaching for the other manuscript and laying it in front of him.

"This was never meant to be published," Dan uttered while gripping the stack of paper.

"And why exactly would that be? Because it paints you in the same light as everyone you are looking to harm?" Bart asked him coldly. "Did you think I would really sell out my son, Lily's children?"

"I was under the belief that you saw everyone for who they really were otherwise I never would have come to you first," Dan asserted.

"Well, a good life lesson is that you always protect your own. That is when someone else is attempting to harm them. What is in that packet changes everything. It doesn't only effect them, it effects me. Fortunately or possible unfortunately for you, this is not my battle to fight. You have ten minutes before I give Chuck this information. Whatever he chooses to do with it is his own business. I will tell you this though, I will stand behind him in whatever choice he makes and do everything in my power to enforce it to the fullest."

"Mr. Bass please," Dan began only to be cut off.

"Daniel, we are past formalities. I have made my decision," he stated standing up and walking to the door to hold it open. "If you have any ends you wish to tie up, now would be the time."

Bart walked out of the door and headed over to where Chuck and Nate were standing. Bart motioned to Dan standing near the door which was met with a strange look from Chuck before he and Bart began walking back over. Dan fled from the door and began searching through the party in an attempt to find Blair. A few minutes had passed when finally he spotted her and Serena talking with some other women near the door and hurried over.

"Blair, can I speak with you?" Dan interrupted. Blair gave him a rejection look and rolled her eyes as Serena lunged from her side.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Serena yelled walking to stand face to face with him.

"Serena, I need to speak with Blair," he said impatiently trying to gaze around her.

"Why are you here?" Serena repeated.

Blair glanced over and rolled her eyes again before resuming her conversation.

"Bart asked me to come and I need to speak with Blair," he said in an annoyed tone before stepping around her and taking a light hold of Blair's arm. "Can I have a word please?"

Blair gave a look of disgust before stepping aside and away from Serena's rambling. "Unhand my Humphrey," she groaned as she squatted his hand off her arm.

"What do you want?" she asked flippantly.

"Blair, you know that I care about you right?" Dan asked.

"Really? You have an odd way of showing it. Last time I spoke with you, you were making blanket threats about what would happen if I didn't hand Serena over to you and now you are attending a Bass function claiming to care for me?," she remarked while glancing back at Serena.

"I never wanted us to end up this way. Blair our relationship was so important to me. I would have done anything to protect you," he told her while trying to gain her full attention.

"Dan, I didn't know you would be attending," Georgina stated as she walked in their conversation with Jack following close behind her.

"I will deal with you later. Blair," Dan began again.

"Dan, I don't know what your going on about but I believe I made things pretty clear to you months ago. We are over. As in forever," Blair stated clearly aggravated.

"That's not what I'm talking about. I mean, that's a conversation to be had at a later time but I really need to tell you something," Dan said shifted from foot to foot in a nervous manner.

"Where the hell is he?" Chuck boomed from across the room causing everyone to turn their attention. He came barreling through the crowd with Bart and Nate not far behind him and Lily running up in the distance.

"You son of a bitch," Chuck yelled as his fist slammed into the side of Dan's face. Dan fell to the ground instantly and grabbed his face in pain. "Tell her," Chuck stated.

"Everyone I apologize for this outburst," Bart stated as he ushered people to the side and closed a set of double doors to block off the scene.

"Tell her," Chuck growled.

Dan let out a large gulp before standing up and looking at Blair.

"I feel like I'm having déjà vu except you two have switched places. What is going on?" Blair questioned them.

"Tell her, or I will have Nate beat it out of you," Chuck yelled clutching his fist from the blow he just delivered.

"Chuck, slow down," Nate tried to reason.

"Can someone please explain what is going on here?" Serena asked.

"Thank you so much for bringing me," Georgina sighed contently as she looked up at Jack.

Lily and Bart stared down at the ground having already been privy to the information everyone else was waiting for Dan to present.

"Chuck, what the hell is going on?" Blair asked losing patience.

"Tell her," Chuck enunciated one last time as he began to step closer to him only to be met with Nate's arm pushing him back slightly.

"I changed the results," Dan mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Blair asked clearly lost.

"The paternity test. I changed the results before I gave them to you," Dan mumbled staring at her sadly.

Blair stared at him perplexed before looking over to see Serena murmur something to Chuck. She noticed Chuck seem to relax before he looked at her and then closed his eyes seeming to be absorbing the information ever further now that it had come through in a confession.

"Why?" Blair asked in barely a whisper.

"Because, I love you and I knew that if you knew the truth then you would go running back to him and he would hurt you all over again. I wanted to give you a chance at truly being happy. Not that it did much good because look where we are now," Dan attempted to justify.

She walked up to him slowly before lifting her hand and slapping him roughly across the face. "You disgust me. What we had was never real. It was a story you mapped out in your head and you merely fit me into the role during the time in my life when I was most vulnerable. I thought you were my friend but all you ever did was use me for some sick fantasy. I never want to see you again. You are dead to me," was all she offered before turning. "Serena, can we please get out of here. I feel sick."

She walked to Chuck with tears brimming in her eyes as he grasped her hand and gave it a light squeeze before motioning her to join Serena. She nodded to him and left the room without turning around. Lily joined the girls leaving Chuck, Nate, Bart, Georgina, Jack and Dan in the room.

Dan stood there staring at all of them and looking as though he himself could possible break down right there.

"I'm sorry Humphrey but you had to see this coming eventually. I maybe cruel but I am not heartless. Revealing that type of secret to a mother?" Georgina said as she shook her head.

"You, tried to shop around a sex tape of Serena. Not once but twice," he screamed at her.

"Child's play," Jack said seriously.

"I want you gone," Chuck told him authoritatively.

"What are you going to do to me if I don't? Blacklist me? Tell every literary agency not to publish me? Threaten me with a lawsuit? I think you've done all the damage you can," Dan replied back cockily.

"That's only the beginning," Chuck began as he stepped back into his face. "You have messed with the only thing in this world that I care about and you took part in taking something away from both of us. There is no punishment in this world that would ever make me feel that I have gotten even with you or that I have made you hurt in the way that you have hurt her. But that doesn't mean that I won't try and keep trying until I get a least a menial feeling of satisfaction. You have till midnight. Get out of this city."

Jack and Georgina walked out of the room as Nate grabbed Chuck's shoulder and led him away. Bart stayed staring at Dan and waited until the door closed behind them.

"Your family has caused nothing but grief to mine. Now you will return to the lowly creatures you were meant to associate with. I suggest you tell your father to follow the same advice," Bart informed him as he turned to walk out the door.

"So that's what this is? Using Chuck and I to settle your old scores?"

"It may have started off that way but once I learned the truth about you, I realized that you could possibly be more evil then even I ever could be. Taking you down is my good deed for the decade. I secure my position back within my family. Keep Lily happy. Send Chuck and Jack back to work rather than having them dig around for my past deeds. And, somehow you ended up making Blair redeemable in my eyes," Bart told him coldly. "Take my son's word and leave. I know better than anyone that he can be quite persistent."

Bart left the door opened as he walked out the door and back into the party leaving Dan standing alone.

***So, explanation in order I guess. I didn't know if I was going to take it there but I always thought that was what would end up being revealed back in the day so I went with it. Oh, and I really despise Dan. As for this Gala it still has a part two...***


	23. Chapter 23

Dan stood alone gazing out at the open doors that everyone had just vacated out from. His mind was swirling how quickly everything had gotten so messed up. In a manner of months he had managed to isolate himself and destroy almost all the relationships he had spent the last six years of his life building. Then, in a manner of minutes he had put the final nail in the coffin. He knew there was no way he was going to be able to get close enough to Blair to try to explain himself or in the least beg for mercy. He knew that Nate would not lend an ear to hear him out and even his partner in crime, Georgina, had turned against him the first opportunity to land in favor had presented itself. He sighed deeply before walking through the door in an attempt to retreat and head back to Brooklyn before accepting his fate and taking his suggested absence.

When he walked through the threshold he was presented by Serena who pushed him with a finger backwards into the room before slamming the door. She looked him up and down with disgust radiating off her face.

"How could you do that?" she asked him sadly.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," he responded simply not meeting her eye contact.

"I need you to explain this to me," Serena said with almost a compassionate yet exhausted tone.

"I love her Serena. I can't explain it but I do. I just thought that if she thought it was Louis's that when it ended I could be there," Dan uttered.

"So you were impacting the life of an unborn child on the notion that her and Louis wouldn't work out and you could sweep in and be the hero?"

Dan just looked at her without so much as a motion.

"How could you do something so callous? What did you think that they really wouldn't know? You out of anyone have to know how connected Blair and Chuck are and you don't think one of them wouldn't have had a second thought?" she asked astonished.

"I was thinking in the moment. I wasn't looking through the whole scenario," was all he offered.

"If you never would have done that. If you never would have lied. There's a chance," she began looking at him with tears brimming in her eyes.

"You can't blame that on me," Dan mumbled finally looking her in the eyes.

"Yes. Yes, I can. You set into motions a series of events that may have never happened if that paper said what it was suppose to. It's not just Tripp whose to blame here for what happened," she said to him with the tears finally coming. "I just can't believe that this is what you have become. I loved you. I really loved you. You were the first guy I ever truly felt that for and this is what you have become. Your dead to me. Take Chuck's advice and stay away. For everyone's good."

Serena walked back out the door and again left Dan to try and gather himself. He had neglected Serena's feelings for so long that her words had no weight with him. All she had done was further the anger that was brewing in him from the turn of events that evening. He walked out the door and proceeded to find the media room of the party. He was determined to have the last word even if it was his own funeral.

Bart, Lily, Chuck and Blair had been standing in Bart's office for a few minutes without anyone saying a word. Blair and Chuck sat on the sofa with her face shoved into his shoulder without enough room for what even seem like a single breath of air. Bart and Lily looked at one another sympathetically before Bart finally cleared his throat to speak.

"Charles, Blair, I'm sorry that I had to bring this to your attention this evening but I wasn't aware if I would have another opportunity where you would hear me out," Bart explained

"No, father I appreciate you bringing to my attention," Chuck stated formally without a hint of emotion.

Lily stared at him with her mouth slightly agape. "Bart, I think that maybe we should give Charles and Blair some time alone."

"Yes, well if either of you need anything please let us know," Bart said with confusion as Lily pulled his arm and yanked him from the office.

Once the door had finally closed Blair pulled her face from Chuck's shoulder. Her mascara had run down her face along with the tears from her eyes. Chuck offered her a sad smile before kissing her cheek.

"How are you so calm right now? Shouldn't you be throwing something or punching someone again?" Blair asked with a sniffle.

"In time, maybe. For the moment you aren't exactly in the best frame of mind so I can put aside my feelings until we begin resolving yours," he explained as he took her hand in his.

"I was such an idiot for trusting him," she mumbled.

"I can't disagree with you on that," Chuck replied. "But, you can't blame yourself for how all of this has played out."

"How could I not," she shrieked. "If I never would have befriended him, confided in him, if he never had access to that piece of paper."

"Stop. That isn't going to solve anything and we can't change what has happened. We just have to focus on the future and rebuilding," Chuck attempted at a loss for how to fix the situation at hand.

"How can you just be brushing this off? That was your child. If it wasn't for him then we would have a child right now," she yelled standing up from the couch.

"I understand that," he said standing up to join her.

"Then why are you acting like an emotionless robot!"

"What do you want Blair? Do you want us to both stand here and yell and scream and cry? You wanna take turn picking up awards off the shelf over there to throw at the wall? I told you, I am trying to remain calm here till you come to your senses and start looking at this rationally but for some reason you want to rile me up rather then let me help you calm down," he blurted finally losing his patience.

"I wanna know that your hurt. I'm hurt and you look like, you look like what happened doesn't even matter to you. I see that your worried about me and how I'm feeling but I want to know that this is hurting you," she lamented as the tears began flowing again.

"Blair, I was hurt before we even knew this information tonight. What I said to you in that limo that night I meant. The baby was an extension of you, no matter who the father was. I was hurt then and I am more hurt now," he said to her calmly while wrapping his hands around her waist. She let out a choked sob before resting her head back on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to you when I found out in the first place. I should have told you that at least it was possible. I should have handled everything so differently," she mumbled without moving from her position.

"If were going to start questioning every choice we have made, I could just as easily say that I should have never left you leave with Louis that night. Blair, we didn't do anything to cause this. Dan and Tripp did. There is nothing we can do to change what happened," he spoke affectionately while running his hands down her arms.

"Can we get out of here please?" she asked with a murmur.

"Of course. I'll call Arthur to bring the car around."

"Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked meekly.

""Blair, after everything I think we can put aside the real estate war for this evening," he replied leading her to the door. He waited for her nod of approval before they emerged from the room.

"That asshole," Nate replied while taking a large swig from his glass of whiskey.

"How long exactly did you know about this," Serena inquired while staring with daggers in Georgina's direction.

"Only about a week. I didn't get the full version until we were arguing over what exactly to do with your infamous sex-capades," Georgina responded while sipping on her own champagne.

"And you waited to use it till the moment where you could profit the most huh?" Nate asked with distain.

"Uh uh, you don't get to blame me for this. I was just as shocked as everyone else. I mean from the beginning I thought that baby was a Bass but the evidence at the time proved to be the opposite. What Dan choose to do is all on him. You can't blame me for not running to you all with open arms the second I found out," she defended.

"I mean she did give the information to Bart and I mean look how well that actually turned out," Jack joked.

Nate and Serena rolled their eyes simultaneously and turned away. Suddenly Serena felt a pair on hands wrap around her waist and turned around abruptly.

"Sorry I'm so late," Steven whispered into her ear as he stepped to stand beside her.

"What did you get lost?" she asked slightly annoyed but with a tinge of happiness.

"Actually my driver got two flat tires and had the wrong address," he stated with a small laugh which elicited a grin from Nate.

"Well, typically I would be upset but since I think you missed most of the drama," she replied with a kiss to his cheek.

"Nate, this is Steven. Steven, Nate," she introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Steven replied extending his hand.

Nate glared at him and gave a fake grin before shaking his hand and then turning back to his drink.

"Um, Georgina, Jack," she introduced further.

Chuck and Blair approached and explained in few words that they were heading out for the evening. As they said their goodbyes, Bart took the podium and began his speech. Blair motioned for Chuck to stay for the speech.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I wanted to thank you all for attending our Annual Gala and for your continued support toward Bass industries. This past year has obviously been a time of great change for our company and..." Bart spoke only to be interrupted by a loud screeching coming from the speakers and the emergence of a video on screen.

"Can you just help me with my dress," Serena asked in the tape.

"Oh my god," Serena mumbled in person as the video began playing.

"Is that what I think it is?" Nate asked dumbfounded.

"I feel sick," Blair mumbled staring at the screen as the tape began to progress rapidly.

"Don't worry it doesn't last long," Georgina commented while smirking at Jack.

A gasp spread through the room as the tape exited PG-13 and progressed rapidly to R.

"Steven we need to leave," Serena stated nervously while attempting to pull his arm toward the direction of the door.

"What the hell is this?" Bart fumed from the podium. "Turn this off."

"amateur at best," Chuck mumbled under his breath.

Dan took in the sight from the side door before turning on his heel and exiting the building feeling slightly elated and believing he had granted himself some form of revenge.

The tape soon cut out but it appeared the damage was already done.

"Serena, I'm going to head out. I will speak with you tomorrow," Steven replied coldly while placing the lightest kiss on her cheek before turning away without another word.

"Steven," Serena called out as she headed toward him. Nate grabbed her arm and shook his head slightly, motioning her to let him go.

"Nothing you say is going to help right now. Give him some space," Nate offered with a sincere smile.

"Well, I've had enough for the evening," Blair stated with agitation before linking her arm with Chuck's and giving him a not so subtle tug.

"I'm sorry sis. If I hear that our rodent hasn't vacated by the morning I will take care of it," Chuck said.

"Nate, can you take me home please? Before my mother finds me," Serena mumbled while gulping down the last of her drink. He smiled to her before taking her arm and leading her behind Chuck and Blair toward the exit.

"Well, look at that. Just you and me," Georgina stated seductively while smiling at Jack.

"What do you say we get out of here too?" he asked with a smirk. She smiled back before taking his arm and heading toward the exit.

I know, I know. I have not updated this story in forever. Honestly, I have been somewhat distracted with life and also with working on a new story that has stolen all of my creative energy. I had planned on keeping this going for quite a while but I think I have it lined up where I can do it justice and tie it up sooner. Thank you so much for all the reviews since my last update. That last set of reviews was honestly the best and most constructive criticism I have gotten since I have began writing and I truly appreciated it. Hopefully you will all enjoy the way I wrap this up and keep an eye out for the new story. I am really excited about the next one because I really have seen very little material that has even touched on working with the storyline and it is going to allow me to change stuff up quite a bit. It is also going to be filled with quite a lot of angst which is what I feel I truly enjoy writing the most. Thank you again so much for the reviews, follows and favorites! You guys have truly made a new writer feel welcome into this amazing fanfic community.


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